The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6
by Psychoblue
Summary: A year has passed since Tekken 5, and Jin Kazama holds the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Faces old and new gather to Tokyo for this contest of champions.
1. Prologue

**The story**

Wang Jinrei is announced the winner of the King of Iron Fist 5, defeating Heihachi Mishima for the right to fight and save his friend Jinpachi Mishima from himself.

The battle between the two friends was long, as both fighters were evenly matched. But no matter how much they tried, they could not bring themselves to finish off their opponent.

Jinpachi resigns to his fate and says, "It appears that no one was able to stop me."

The man transformed into an even greater form, then disappeared in a pillar of light. When the dust cleared, it was as if he was never even there.

Wang looks on in awe as his old friend seems to disappear from the plane of reality. "It must be the Mishima curse! Jinpachi, it appears that my work is far from done. I will find a way to relieve you of your inner demon!"

Realizing that the work he must now do can only be done alone, Wang passes on the Mishima Zaibatsu to Jin Kazama.

Jin's first task was to try and locate his mother, who he learned was still alive. But when he arrived at the supposed location of where he would find her, he was attacked by a creature he believed that he himself had killed: Ogre. As he left the now-ruined area, he was surrounded by Jacks. The place where he had fought Ogre was actually one of G-Corporation's many labs. And that's when it occurred to him: G-Corporation was the one who had his mother.

Ten months pass...

If Jin wanted to take out G-Corporation, he must make sure that no one else would fall victim to their schemes As a result, he hosts the Kazama Tournament of True Might to gather fighters from the previous tournaments and warn them of G-Corporation's plot.

Another two months pass, and Jin prepares to take G-Corporation head-on by inviting Jean Sorel, the vice president of the organization.

And so the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 began...

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The New Faces:

**Doren Sharon**  
Height: 6'6"  
Weight: 211 lbs.  
Fighting Style: Self-composed style based off of Police Jujitsu and Krav Maga  
Nationality: Israeli  
Age: 28  
Occupation: Military Instructor in Tel Aviv  
Hobby: Training, Video Games  
Likes: His girlfriend Natasha, strong foes  
Dislikes: Innocent Deaths

Doren Sharon grew up with the Middle Eastern conflict constantly ravaging his home. He was usually forced to fend for himself as his parents were often caught in the confusion of wartime. When Doren was 6, he saw on TV the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. This inspired Doren to be a fighter himself. He would create his own style that could devastate any opponent. Tournament after tournament, Doren kept on winning and was spoken in the same breath as the Mishimas and Paul Phoenix in terms of skill. He became so good that his enemies realized that no mere firearm could match him and hired Nina Williams to eliminate him. At age 25, Doren was attacked by Nina Williams, but even the seasoned assassin could not silence the Israeli martial artist. Doren overwhelmed her and sent her into a hasty retreat, marking the first time Nina had failed a hit.

An infinitely kind man, Doren is well known in the Israeli Defense Force for his deft negotiating skills and his qualms against needless conflict. The Israeli government occasionally turn to Doren for advice in internal affairs, such as the Palestinian conflict and how it can be dealt with using minimal force.

One day, he received an invitation to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 handwritten by Jin Kazama "I need your help. Meet me at the tournament." Doren smiled brightly. "This is perfect! The cry for aid beckons me to my very first appearance in the King of Iron Fist!" With that, Doren kisses his beloved Natasha goodbye and accepts the invitation.

Appearance: Blue Camoflague pants, Purple Camoflaugue Jacket with Israeli flag on the side and on the back. Clean-shaven, wears glasses, and has black hair tied back in a ponytail. Thin, but muscular at the same time, and quite the bishonen.

Inspiration: When I made him, I wanted a military guy, because Hwoarang didn't fit the bill anymore. He was heavily influenced by Street Fighter's Charlie Nash in terms of his appearance. But I wanted someone very gentle in nature, despite the fact that he is coming from a country known for chaos, and a military that is one of the best in the world.

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**Kenichi Masamune**  
Height: 5'8"  
Weight: 149 lbs.  
Fighting Style: Namikawa Karate(Karate specializing in street fighting)  
Age: 18  
Nationality: Japanese  
Occupation: High School Student  
Hobby: Reading, Basketball  
Likes: Close games, matches with his rival Asuka Kazama  
Dislikes: Cheaters

Kenichi Masamune, who learned his unique style of karate from his mother, has been the rival of Asuka Kazama since they were in kindergarten. He challenges her dojo weekly, and neither has gained a decisive victory over the other. Their fights span all across Osaka, and at the same time the two have remained fairly close. At school, he is a top-notch student with high marks in every subject. As a direct descendant of the legendary samurai Date Masamune, Kenichi has the blood of a warrior in his veins.

One day, while heading home from school, he finds that his father had been assassinated. On the scene was his nemesis Asuka Kazama who had been watching Kenichi's father for a while at the request of Interpol Detective Lei Wulong. As it turned out, Kenichi's father had been working with the Yakuza and had been planning to sell a large shipment of bio-weapons to numerous buyers around the globe. But a gaijin ninja, who his mother identified as the King of Iron Fist 5 competitor Raven, slew him before the shipment could be finalized.

"This brings disgrace to my family," Kenichi shakes his fist in anger. With Asuka as his only ally, Kenichi enters the King of Iron Fist 6 to confront Raven and learn where his father got these weapons.

Appearance: Basic Japanese schoolboy uniform. Forward, wavy brown hair and the pretty boy look atypical to most schoolboy chars. He carried a Masamune that is concealed in wood like an iai sword

Inspiration: A schoolboy with samurai blood? It sounds like he comes right from an anime! Since Asuka is basically the Sakura of Tekken, Kenichi is her Karin. The appearance is almost identical to Gundam Wing's Heero Yui(hence listing basketball as a hobby), but Kenichi comes off as bit of a snob in his personality.

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**Jean Sorel**  
Height: 6'0"  
Weight: 167 lbs.  
Fighting Style: La Rapiere des Sorel combined with Savate  
Age: 27  
Nationality: French  
Occupation: Executive Board Member of G Corporation  
Hobbies: Practicing with his weapon and family heirloom, the rapier Flambert  
Likes: Power, his most-favored scientist Jane  
Dislikes: The Mishimas, silence

Jean Sorel is a high-ranked executive in the G Corporation, joining the Board of Directors when he was just 18. He comes from a very prestigious family, which helped him get to where he is today. But the Sorel Clan has very bloody legacy, with insanity running rampant throughout most of its history since the 16th century. Jean is no exception, as it was his idea to eliminate Kazuya after he had served his purpose. Since then, he has grown a deep hatred for Kazuya and Heihachi, who eliminated his Jane's precious creation, Jack-5, in the the previous tournament.

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 ended, and both Heihachi and Kazuya were still alive. Jean was absolutely furious. Not only was his treasured Jane in an emotional state, but he had now lost face for failing to eliminate the Mishimas. His hatred continued to fester when Jin Kazama, Kazuya's son, was given the Mishima Zaibatsu.

Ten months later, G Corporation was about to hire an assassin for a job: find and destory the renegade experiment Jun Kazama. Jean, now seeing his chance for revenge, talked the board of directors into giving him the job instead. He would find Jun Kazama, but he would not kill her right away. He would torture her, slowly, until Kazuya Mishima arrived, at which point he would finish the job. He'll make Kazuya wish he were dead...then Jean would grant that loathsome Jap his fatal request.

And so, Jean sharpens his rapier and enters the fray. As he feels a crazed laugh begin to tickle his throat on its way to his vocal chords, Jean can only think of how beautiful this tournament will be once he coats himself in fresh blood.

Appearance: Long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail by a red bow. He wears an outfit similiar to Kazuya's pimpsuit, only black with red trim. Thin but muscular, Jean wears silver gloves, and the fingers end in points.

Inspiration: He's the direct descendant of Soul Calibur's Raphael Sorel, so they look almost identical. The hairstyle comes from Raph's 3rd costume in SC2, but the outfit is heavily influenced from his new SC3 outfit. Jean's personality is cross between his ancestor's and Street Fighter's Vega. I wanted to use Raphael's insanity, and multiply it a bit to show how deep lunacy was knit into the name "Sorel."


	2. Welcome to Tokyo

"Now arriving…Gate 13, non-stop from Tel Aviv. Welcome to Tokyo."

A river of people began to emerge from Gate 13 just as the computerized voice had finished that sentence. From this herd came an odd mix of numerous languages. Some of it was English, some was Arab, some was Japanese, but a good majority of it was Hebrew. Together they created a symphony of sound that was truly unique in its own way. It was really no surprise that the Middle East, where Tel Aviv was located, had once produced "the Tower of Babel."

Soon the flock began to separate, and so did the mix of languages. When the people coming off the plane went to their family, friends, and parties, they took their languages with them. English would be the main language in some groups; Arab would be the tongue of choice in others, and so on. The languages would become individual once more. And when the people would have to go back to Tel Aviv, their languages would combine to create that symphony again.

But there was one man who did not have a party to go to. At least, he was not expecting to have one.

He was a fairly tall (and quite muscular) man, good six-and-a-half feet tall, wearing blue camouflage pants and a purple camouflage jacket with the Israeli flag on the back. His black hair was tied back in a ponytail. It was apparent to anyone watching that he was in his late 20s, but his bespectacled face was full of youth. Israel was often considered one of the holiest places in the world, and this man gave off an aura of calm that seemed to back up these claims. Many girls would turn to look at him as he went by, but he paid them no real attention. He was busy playing his Sony PSP by the time he had stepped out of the gate. Once he had turned it off, however, he simply gave a smile and a wave to anyone who passed him by as he made his way to the luggage checkout.

When he got there, he sat down and watched as the bags go by, waiting for his own bag to come in his eyesight. _It's a good thing I have a spare pair of glasses_, he thought as he took the glasses off his face and wiped them off with a handkerchief, _I wouldn't want my only pair to get smashed in the tournament._ Just as he put his glasses back on, he spotted his bag, and stood up to get it.

With his bag in tow, the man went out of the door and was about to get a taxi when suddenly, a redheaded man walked up next to him and began calling for a taxi. He was a bit younger than the man in glasses, twenty-two to be exact, and was wearing a black leather jacket with the flag of South Korea on his back, along with a pair of black jeans and spurred shoes. As the taxi pulled up, the redheaded man said, "I need to get to the Mishima Mansion."

The man in glasses quickly shoved money in the driver's face. It was a mix of shekels and American dollars. "Wait, I need to go there too. I'll pay for the both of us."

The two men put their luggage in the trunk before getting into the car themselves. The red-headed man looked at the man in glasses and said, in English, "So you're competing?"

"That's right," the man in glasses gave a salute, "First Lieutenant Doren Sharon of the Israeli Defense Force. And you must be Hwoarang, the Tae Kwan Do champion!"

"Heh. So you've heard of me," Hwoarang gave a salute back, and the two young men put their arms down. "and I've heard of you. I remember seeing your face on TV when you competed in that mixed martial arts tournament last year." Hwoarang brushed back his crimson hair and laid back a bit.

"Oh, that one. The competition was very good there. But this…THIS tournament is what I've been dreaming of…ever since I was 7..."

Hwoarang let out a loud laugh when he heard that. "Oooh man, you sounded like such a noob there!" He was about to playfully punch him in the arm, but just as he was about to hit, Doren grabbed the arm. "H-Hey!" Doren looked at Hwoarang's surprised expression (as well as hints of pain) and quickly let go of the arm while apologizing profusely. "S-sorry! I..I am just a little high-strung. I wasn't expecting that. Sorry!"

"Yeah…no harm done…." Hwoarang lightly rubbed his arm and looked out the window. _Awww man_, he thought,_ I don't know what will get me first: his fists…or his apologizing after he's used them! Kazama, what the hell have you gotten me into this time...?_


	3. The King of Iron Fists

"Mr. Mishima, your boat will be arriving shortly to take you to the mainland."

"Yes, thank you."

Heihachi Mishima turned off his intercom and continued tearing at the punching bag in his study. He was an old man, seventy-six years old as of the previous month, and was bald save for two stocks of gray hair growing from the back of his ears that stuck up like devilish horns, and a bushy gray mustache to go along with it. Yet even in his old age, his fighting spirit refused to give way. When Heihachi was fifty-two years old (and his hair was still black, as Heihachi fondly recalled), he hosted the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament. He was probably unaware at the time that he would later host the third and fourth tournaments. And every time, Heihachi would put himself in the line of combat as a sign of respect and superiority.

But his time of dominance came to an abrupt end, at the conclusion of the King of Iron Fist 4.

After being attacked by his grandson Jin Kazama at his private dojo in Honmaru, Heihachi and his vengeful son Kazuya were assaulted by a squadron of androids known only as "Jack-4." At first, Heihachi suspected that Kazuya was responsible for the intrusion but realized that Kazuya was just as bewildered by the sudden attack. And for the first time, Heihachi and Kazuya put aside their differences and fought together as father and son.

Due to the sheer numbers of the Jacks, Heihachi began to lose his breath. Kazuya then took advantage of that moment of weakness, throwing him into the middle of the army of Jacks, and used the opportunity to escape from Honmaru. Shortly after, a huge explosion devastated Honmaru, and Heihachi was believed to be dead.

At least, it should have killed him as it certainly would have killed anyone else. Heihachi, though, was not "anyone else." The explosion blew him for several miles, and he lay unconscious in a graveyard for several days. When he finally came to, his Mishima Zaibatsu had already been taken over…by none other than his imprisoned father, Jinpachi Mishima.

Furious, Heihachi entered the King of Iron Fist 5 to reclaim his company. He quickly tore his way through the competitors, and his son Kazuya, to make it all the way to the finals.

And that's when his life began to get particularly unappealing.

Heihachi was defeated by his former friend Wang Jinrei, and denied a chance to face his father and the Zaibatsu. Soon after Wang defeated Jinpachi, his gave the Zaibatsu to Heihachi's ungrateful son Jin. Heihachi was absolutely in shock. For the first time in a while, he felt that he had become weak; that his obsession over ending his cursed bloodline had gotten in the way of what it truly meant to be a fighter.

Heihachi intensified his training to inhuman levels over the months that followed. He wrestled with deep-sea sharks without any sort of scuba gear, with the intent of putting his body under immense pressure. He bathed himself in geysers, with the intent of becoming immune to pain. But to increase his senses, he would go to the zoo and into the lion's den. Then he would ask the zookeeper to shut off all the lights, and open all the cages. Heihachi would often come out scarred, but the lions often suffered serious injury. It wasn't long before the lions would stay in their cages even when opened.

Ten months passed, and Heihachi received an invitation to the Kazama Tournament of True Might. Feeling that he was not ready to approach his grandson, Heihachi instead went to his own little party. He went into his vault that was located in his private resort in Okinawa and pulled out shards of Soul Edge, a sword that dated back to the sixteenth century, said to drive men insane. With those shards, he forged a sword…so he could cut himself with it. When Heihachi had first found a Soul Edge shard, he was thrown back in time, and he knew that the warriors that he met there were excellent sparring partners…Heihachi spent a good three hours a week cutting himself, and he was tossed into the sixteenth century each time. Every waking hour he spent there was used for fighting. Siegfried Schtauffen, Ivy Valentine, Mitsurugi Heishiro, and many of the warriors from that time became both Heihachi's friend and enemy. And every time Heihachi returned to his own time, he would find that his strength had increased along with each scar he received in his battles.

Two months after Heihachi missed the Tournament of True Might, he received an invitation to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Heihachi found it insulting that someone else was writing invitations. This was HIS tournament, HIS brainchild!

_But soon_, Heihachi thought as he stared at the torn punching bag and put on his fur jacket,_ it will be mine again. I am finally focused, and have found something that I lost when I relaxing as head of the Zaibatsu. Once I take the Zaibatsu back, I'll refocus my efforts on the martial arts. I will make sure that every martial artist in the world is recognized for the warriors they are!_

"Mr. Mishima…your boat is here." The intercom came to life again just as Heihachi had finished packing his suitcase. Heihachi responded with a "thank you," then turned the lights off in his study, and headed out the door….


	4. Resentment

Tokyo is one of the largest, busiest cities in the world. In the wake of World War II, Japan worked feverishly to rebuild their capital from a military-based society, to a culture devoted to technology. In only a few years, Japan was one of the most technologically advanced nations the planet had ever seen. By the dawn of the twenty-first century, Tokyo was a city that defined the future: advanced vehicles, powerful computers, and a bustling nightlife.

But what was perhaps the most impressive was the city's business district. The office buildings sometimes dwarfed over 150 meters, truly a testament to Japan's devotion to economic wealth.

One such building was the headquarters of the genetics company G-Corporation. Two years ago, this building was subject to a raid by the Mishima Zaibatsu's personal swat team, the Tekken-shu. The Zaibatsu, who were once partners with G Corporation, learned that their former allies had stolen the Zaibatsu's data on the monstrous Ogre, Toshin. The Tekken-shu retrieved some of the data, but not before they faced the wrath of Kazuya Mishima, revived by G-Corporation after believed dead when his father Heihachi threw him into a volcano twenty years earlier. In the wake of the attack, G-Corporation became far more aggressive, focusing its efforts on weapons as well as genetic research.

On the top floor of G-Corporation's building, a man of French descent was burning with hate while stewing in his office. He was rather thin, but his muscular frame more than made up for what he lacked in sheer bulk. His long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail with a red bow, and he was wearing a black tuxedo with a puce trim. There were a pair of trophies on his desk that revealed who he was: Jean Sorel, Champion de la clôture and Champion de la Savate .

Jean Sorel was the assistant director of G-Corporation as well as the heir to the Sorel clan, one of the most powerful families in France, so he had a say in pretty much everything that went on. He was in charge of weapons research. During his time there, he met the scientist Jane, who created for G-Corporation the Jack-4s and their successor Jack-5. _Such a sweet woman_, Jean recalled as he stopped stewing in his hatred. _Maybe after I finish the tournament she and I can….NO!_

Jean quickly dismissed such thoughts. Love and compassion had its place, and now was not the time. He must focus on the task at hand: revenge.

After watching Kazuya beginning to pursue his own agenda, Jean decided that it was time to "take out the trash." He had Jane use the Jack-4s to destroy Honmaru, and even though Kazuya escaped, Jean knew that it would only be a matter of time since Jack-5 would be ready by the time the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 started. Unfortunately for Jean, Jack-5 would never face Kazuya: Heihachi, who Jean insisted to his superiors died in the explosion, dismantled it.

For the past year, Jean has been consumed by hatred. His precious Jane was put in an emotional state, and Jean had lost his credibility. He was able to retain his job only by using his family's wealth to increase funding. But two months ago, Jean's vigor returned.

G Corporation's most vaunted resurrected fighter had escaped from their labs. Kazuya Mishima three years before, saying that he would do ANYTHING they said so long as they would bring her back to life, brought this fighter to them. The fighter was none other than Kazuya Mishima's lover, Jun Kazama. The G-Corporation knew that Jun would enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 to be reunited with her son Jin, but Jean insisted that he carried out the hit. Kazuya took something from Jean, and Jean would make sure that Kazuya paid for it with his angst. He would slowly torture Jun to death, painting her blood on Kazuya's clothes as his battered body watched in horror. Then Jean would move on to Kazuya's son, Jin, making that death a bit quicker so he could move on to the main event: claiming the Mishima Zaibatsu for the G Corporation

Jean stood up from his chair and put on a pair of silver gauntlets with fingers shaped like claws, then picked up his rapier Flambert from the wall. This rapier had a long, bloody history that dated back to the late 16th century. It was said that it was even crossed with the legendary Soul Edge. Jean would use Flambert to draw the blood of everyone who Kazuya considered close to him.

Jean walked over to the intercom installed next to where Flambert lay and pressed a button. "Ms. Yagi, it's far too quiet up here. Would you mind putting up some music?"

"Of course, Mr. Sorel. Anything in particular?"

"Hmmmm…" Jean began spinning his rapier in his hand, "Track 7 of my personal playlist should do. Be sure to notify me when it's time to head to the Mishima Mansion for the tournament, and have my invitation and limo ready before you call."

A few seconds later, Jean had his rapier in preparation as his requested song blared in his room, his personal favorite for practice sessions: "Guarded" by Disturbed.

_Guarding yourself from the love of another  
Left you with nothing tonight  
Why does it sound like the devil is laughing  
Leaving me haunted tonight  
You did decide..._


	5. Deception

To MooNTeARZ: Thank you for commenting. You see I have THREE original characters who all use styles not yet seen in Tekken, and I intend to shape this trio into great additions to the Tekken universe. In the meantime...enjoy!

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"That's enough. Stop insulting me."

"What? What the hell are talking ab-"

As their taxi finally pulled up to the entrance of the Mishima Mansion, Doren quickly left the vehicle and headed for the trunk to collect his bag, as Hwoarang followed suit. The two fighters gave their invitation to a guard wearing sunglasses, and were allowed through the front gate.

"What gives, man? What are you-"

"There was absolutely no sincerity in your voice," Doren stopped walking as he interrupted Hwoarang. "The tone of your voice clearly showed resentment, and I'm beginning to think it's because I am military brass. The entire conversation we had on the way here was just a ruse to lighten up to me so you can have that much more fun beating me senseless."

Hwoarang just stood there for a moment, blinked a few times, and then let out a chuckle. Early in the Korean's career, he would make bets with rival gangs, making the wagers seem in their favor by acting nice about it...until it was time to smash their face. This, however, was the first time anyone had ever figured it out beforehand. Yet Hwoarang refused to let this army bastard get the better of him. "Goddamn, you are one strange SOB. How the hell did you come up with this?"

Doren smiled and said, "Because only deserters and cowards feign respect for the military if they had previous experience. Which, might I ask, are you?"

"WHAT?" Hwoarang threw his bag down and kicked Doren in the face and smashed his glasses, but the Israeli man didn't even flinch as he removed the foot from his face, and gave a slight twist of Hwoarang's leg that made the red-headed man wince. Then Doren pushed the leg away and touched his face to see if he was bleeding. "Come friend," he said calmly as he put down his bag and got out a pair of fresh glasses. "Let's go inside. I'll get you a drink."

Hwoarang was about to charge when he heard an all-too-familiar voice.

"STOP!"

Hwoarang froze in place and slowly turned around to see a gray-haired man with an unkempt goatee and formal dress attire. "M-master...this guy..."

"-is exactly right!" Baek slapped Hwoarang in the face, and then kicked him in the shins. "You are a deserter, and have no respect for your country or your fellow martial artists!"

Doren couldn't help but feel sorry for Hwoarang as he kneeled in pain while Baek continued raving on. It went on to a point where he just couldn't bare it anymore. "Excuse me, sir..."

"Please, go about your business. We shall follow you inside when my pupil is ready to formally apologize." Baek picked up Hwoarang by the ear and was about to continue his rant when Doren stepped forward. "There's really no apology necessary. I'm sure we're all a little bit discontented with the military every now and then. In the meantime though, I would really like to talk to you Mr. Do San."

Baek loosened his grip on Hwoarang's glowing ear and looked at Doren. "You know my name? Are you a fan, per chance?"

"Of course, it was your performance alongside the rest of the King of Iron Fist 2 competitors that inspired me to become a martial artist," Doren watched Hwoarang slip away and pick off his bag before smiling at him and chuckling as the Korean man stuck up his middle finger and stormed through the door of the Mishima Mansion...


	6. Commencement

Inside the Mishima Mansion, martial artists from around the world were shouting, laughing, eating, and otherwise being merry as they waited for the tournament to start. On one side of the reception hall there were food and drinks. Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Julia Chang, and other fighters spent their time in the mansion using this area to talk about what they have been doing for the past year. Even though most of them were here two months ago, they didn't really have much time to talk due to having a tournament on such short notice. Now, with the King of Iron Fist Tournament officially in its pre-emptive stages, the fighters could eat and drink together peacefully before the tournament commenced.

On another side of the room, there were some couches and chairs for some of the more passive fighters. In this area, fighters could sit down at chat a bit in a peaceful manner. In the center of the ring of seats was a table with a tea set, and a steaming kettle to go along with it. Sitting on a couch together were Lee Chaolan, with Anna Williams's head resting on his shoulders, and his robotic assistant Combot 2.0. Sitting adjacent to them were Asuka Kazama, Ling Xiaoyu, and a new competitor, Kenichi Masamune.

Kenichi Masamune was an 18-year-old youth wearing plaid blue pants and a yellow shirt with his school's logo on it: the same school that Asuka Kazama attended. He had forward, wavy brown hair that was well kempt, and a wooden sword lying at his side. "Asuka, do you mind keeping it down?" Kenichi suddenly snapped when Asuka began to raise her voice while chatting with Ling, "I'm trying to read something!" Kenichi was holding a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince in his hand. At this point Asuka told Kenichi to "get a grip and lighten up," and then the two began to argue…and argue until Ling simply decided to get up and give them some space. Kenichi and Asuka had been rivals since they began grade school, but the way they quarreled made them seem like lovers.

Of course, there were some fighters who believed that actions spoke louder than words, and didn't bother interacting with the others. One of these fighters was the enigmatic ninja Raven, who stood in a corner without moving a muscle, staring at Kenichi. Two months earlier, Raven had killed the boy's father by the order of his organization, hearing that Mr. Masamune had been trafficking weapons. If his son had indeed followed him, Raven knew that this might put the organization's security at risk. But if he killed him now, it would surely attract the attention of Interpol, and that he didn't need. _Keep a close watch, but don't act_, the organization told Raven before he left for Tokyo, _he might be able to answer some of our questions for us_.

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"Excuse me everyone."

About an hour into the party, Jin Kazama pulled out a microphone and began speaking. He was wearing a black trenchcoat, a red knit shirt, formal black pants, and a navy blue tie. Jin looked around the room until he saw that all eyes were on him, then he started to speak again.

"Welcome to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Only two months ago, I called most of you here to compete in the Tournament of True Might, so that you may prepare for this event. It was a friendly competition and I'm glad to see that all of you who participated came back. Thanks to your efforts, we were able to raise enough funds for the victims of the Honmaru fiasco, who lost their homes in the explosion."

_'Lost their homes'_, Heihachi Mishima angrily thought to himself as he swirled his cup of tea, _I don't recall seeing any donation!_

"Marshall Law and Paul Phoenix, who won the Tournament of True Might, will get their $1,000,000 before they leave tonight." All eyes turned to the Chinese-American, who simply waved as he sipped their drink. Then they looked at Paul, who had his trademark "celery-head" hair down, and he gulped down his cup of champagne and said, "Thanks for the memories, Jin!"

"But as you may know, the Tournament of True Might will be nothing in comparison to what I have planned for this tournament." Jin Kazama smiled slightly as a screen dropped down from behind him. The lights of the mansion dimmed, and a picture appeared on the screen, followed by another, and another. "What you are right now seeing are the locations of where the tournament will take place, all of them right here in Tokyo." After a few more slides, the screen went blank, and the lights returned to their normal hue.

"As before, the prize will be the majority of stocks for the Zaibatsu, or…" Jin paused as one of his bodyguards handed him a suitcase. He opened the suitcase to reveal rolls of dollar bills stacked neatly, "a good $1,000,000,000 plus half of all earnings that the tournament gains from ticket sales. So far, we have made over $5,000,000,000 in sales for this tournament, already a record." Jin closed the suitcase and gave it back to his bodyguard, and then nodded to another man, who had a packet of envelopes in his hand. "My assistant is right now giving you your hotel tickets, along with $5,000. The hotel is located a mere five blocks from here, so don't worry about transportation."

Once he saw that everyone was holding an envelope, Jin smiled softly. "The match schedule will be posted tomorrow morning, at 8 o'clock. Furthermore, I may or may not be your last opponent. Unlike the previous tournaments, the host will be competing alongside each an every one of you as a normal contestant."

_He's breaking tradition_, Kazuya thought as he took a sip of his tea, _which means he might lose the Zaibatsu before the tournament even ends! What are you scheming, Jin?_

"The pairings and match schedule will be posted here tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock." Jin raised his cup high and smiled. "I look forward to seeing you all and participating in what can only be the greatest martial arts tournament in the world: the King of Iron Fist!"

"SALUT!"

Everyone present in the room, excluding Heihachi and Kazuya, raised their cups in unison and drank….


	7. Doren vs Bruce

To all who cares: OK everyone next week I shall be heading off to college, so my next chapter will probably be from my dorm at Marshall University. This is the first battle of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, featuring a fighting style that I trained in for three years: Muay Thai! Enjoy!

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"So you're my first victim," Bruce Irvin stepped up behind Doren as the Israeli man got up from doing pushups. The two combatants had the honor of starting the tournament with the very first match in the Asakusa Hanayashiki theme parks. Bruce was an African-American Muay Thai fighter wearing nothing but a pair of purple trousers with the words "Bruce" on them etched in red, and had bandages around his shins and ankles. His head was bald save for a group of dreadlocks that were tied back in a ponytail.

"Bruce Irvin, Muay Thai extraordinaire," Doren gave a salute, "I'm Doren Sharon of the Israeli defense force. I am very honored to meet you." Doren put his hand down and got into a fighting stance. "Whenever you're ready, we'll begin." A crowd began to form around the two fighters just as Bruce had got into his own fighting stance.

"Don't get too cocky, rookie," Bruce charged at Doren with a sideswiping kick from his left leg, which Doren quickly swatted away. Bruce quickly got his foot back on the ground, and followed up with a right hook. This blow hit its mark, and Doren slightly backed away. "Hah! That was nice block back there," Bruce exclaimed as he charegd forward, "but I don't lose to rookies!" Bruce got Doren into a grapple and was about to ram his knee into the taller man's stomach when….

"UGH!"

Bruce's clutch on Doren was broken as the Israeli brought both his fists down on Bruce's arms. As Bruce gripped his left arm, Doren gave a powerful thrusting kick to the kickboxer's abdomen. "Ugh…nice kick…" Bruce backed away as he ducked a punch, "but you can't match mine!" Bruce took a swing with a left kick and at that same moment, Doren went with a right kick. The two legs clashed with each other, then the two fighters hit each other with their elbows. One onlooker would later describe the scene as "a dangerous game of patty cake."

After matching his enemy blow for blow, Doren finally grabbed Bruce's arm, "You're every bit as good as I thought when I first saw you," Doren's eyes began to sparkle as his grip tightened, "but now I have to end this." As soon as he finished he gave Bruce's arm a pull until he heard a popping sound, followed by a scream. "AGH! You son of a bitch, you dislocated my a-UMPH!" Doren grabbed Bruce's face and began punching it with his free hand, and slammed it into the hard ground. Bruce rolled away just as Doren loosened his grip.

"You…bastard…" Bruce was starting to lose his footing but he didn't care, he took another swing at Doren with his right leg, but Doren dodged it and punched Bruce in the solar plexus, but not before being hit himself by Bruce's left knee. The two fighters stood there for a moment, clutching their stomachs as the crowd remained silent, waiting for one fighter to take a fall…and it was Bruce.

The Muay Thai fighter fell onto his knees and let out a groan. The career of a Thai kickboxer heavily depended on knowing when to throw in the towel. Otherwise, the fighter's career will be very short. Bruce had sustained injuries like this before, and he was old enough and wise enough to realize that these kind of wounds meant that he was done for the fight. "You win, rookie. I know when I'm beat."

"Are you serious?" Doren looked at Bruce, then to the crowd, then at Bruce again. The crowd began clapping quietly at first, then louder and louder until it reached a near-deafening roar. Doren walked up to Bruce, then grabbed his dislocated arm and put it back in place. "AGH! What the hell are you doing?" Bruce got back up on his feet. This guy had just brutally beaten him, and now he was helping him?

"Come on, Mr. Irvin," Doren pointed to a kid with a pen and a small booklet. "Our loyal fans await…"


	8. Jean vs Christie

To MoonTearz: You hope something happens between Asuka and Kenichi? Something….like what? Romantic ties, perhaps? I'm still trying to experiment with love-hate relationships, but I intend to find some way for these two to be lovers by the end of the story.

I finally got my computer back as I write from my room at Marshall University! Yesterday I practically slaughtered the AI in Tekken 4(using Steve) and Tekken 5(using Heihachi) at the Barboursville Tilt. Band camp was tiring mainly because it was hot. Tomorrow I start classes and I'm very excited to say the least!

Anyway, I had some serious fun writing this chapter. After watching some match videos of the Savate championships, I was ready to let Jean do his thing! I wanted to set the stage on a dance floor, because Tekken needs a stage like that. After the awesomeness of the "Live House" in Maximum Impact, I came to the conclusion that every fighting game should have a dance floor.

And without further adieu...Jean Sorel vs. Christie Montiero. Please comment as there might be some typos.

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The dance floor is a place where a flood of light combines with a world of darkness. Crowds of people come here at night to seemingly writhe in a sea of furious rhythms. A more proper description of such convulsing would be "a ritual." The beat is their prayer as they become more and more involved as the music and rhythm increase. Within this sea of light and flesh, two martial artists would begin to engage in their own little dance. This was one of the locations of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.

"Well, well…what have we here?" Jean looked his opponent up and down. She was a dark-skinned woman clad a tie-dye pink t-shirt and purple jean shorts. Unlike Jean's hairstyle, the woman's bronze hair was long and flowing, going all the way to her middle-back area. "And what is your name, my dear?"

"It's Montiero: Christie Montiero," the Brazilian woman gave a nod and looked around. "Listen to those beats. Do you think you've got what it takes to dance with me, blondie?" Christie raised an eyebrow as she watched her opponent take a very exaggerated bow with Flambert in hand. "Hey buddy you don't impress me! Stop curtseying and let's go!"

"Hehehe…" Jean chuckled as he put his rapier Flambert into its sheath. "Mademoiselle, I believe I should be the one asking that earlier question: are you woman enough to keep up?"

Jean straightened himself and got into a peculiar fighting stance. Christie's first guess was that it was Muay Thai, so she began "dancing" side to side and warily moved forward. In the previous tournament, she had come across a Muay Thai fighter and she knew full well what they were capable of. Christie stepped to the left and went with a straight right punch, fingers outstretched, expecting Jean to use an elbow. Unfortunately for her, Jean wasn't a Muay Thai fighter. He instead weaved across the punch and thrusted his leg high into the air, taking Christie with it. With her body balancing on Jean's foot, he quickly brought his leg down with an axe motion and brought Christie down to the ground as a result.

"What, does my Savate have you losing your ground already?" Jean watched as Christie got up and stumbled for a moment before shaking her head and continue dancing. "and here I thought you woman enough to dance with-"

Christie jumped in the air, bringing both of her feet upward in a double-legged kick that hit Jean in the face. Christie landed and got onto her back, then shot her legs straight up, hitting Jean again. She spun on her head and kicked Jean twice as a result. She quickly got back up and expected to face a fallen Jean….but she didn't see him anywhere until…

SLACKT!

…Jean nicked Christie from behind in the upper left leg with Flambert, which was now out of its sheath and in Jean's hand. "Ugh…a dirty trick! What are you thinking using a weapon in a fistfight?" Christie spun around with a roundhouse kick which Jean ducked under and punched her in the stomach. Christie backed away and looked at her left leg. Why was it bleeding so much from such a small cut?

"Please, mademoiselle," Jean eyes began to sparkle as he spun Flambert in his left hand, "don't let a little blood loss lose your focus."

Attacking with renewed vigor, Christie swung her leg out hoping to kick Jean's eyes out, but he dodged easily as the Capoeria fighter's movements became noticeably slower. _Damn it, _Christie thought as she noticed her vision blur, _he knew just where to cut me. At this rate, not only will I be losing the match, I'll be losing my life!_

Jean kicked Christie in the head with a spinning right kick, and then punched her in the chest with his free hand. In the quick series of flashes that followed, Jean had cut her right arm, left cheek, and left shoulder. "Hmhmhm….hahaha…." Jean licked the blood off Flambert and walked over to the fallen Christie, "it's just like red wine…and I intend to get my fill over your-"

"You win." Christie said as she tore off a piece of her jeans and wrapped where her leg was bleeding.

"Wh-what was that?" Jean, obviously startled, sputtered out.

"I quit. You win." Christie had never forfeited anything in her career as a martial artist, but it was either that or giving that psycho the satisfaction of taking her out. Surely her master Eddy Gordo would understand.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr…" Jean let out a long growl before letting out a "damn" and stomping away. He had just been denied the pleasure of his first kill in the tournament, because he knew that if he cut Christie now, he would surely be disqualified from the tournament and that not blow over well with the rest of G-Corporation.

As Jean walked away, the music died down. His opponent's dance was now over, but Jean's dance was only beginning. He would resume his bloody opus once he learned who his next opponent would be….


	9. Kenichi vs Marduk

﻿ 

So I was playing Tekken 5 the other day at the Barboursville Tilt, and I picked Craig. My opponent was Ling. I had her up against a wall and I got into a ready position, but just as I went for a Vale Tudo mount, she FLIPPED(f,f,3+4) OVER MY HEAD JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO TACKLE HER! I crashed into a wall and was cornered. At this point, Ling unleashed a 10-hit wall combo on me as I watched in horror and awe. Then it occurred to me, "Hey I can make a chapter about this!" And so I give you a true David vs. Goliath battle: Kenichi Masamune Vs. Craig Marduk.

And for those of you who are wondering, Kenichi uses Goju Ryu Karate, and style that is VERY similar to SF3's Makoto. Jin uses Shito Ryu.

BTW, the new characters for Tekken 5: Dark Ressurrection have been revealed.

Dragunov, from Russia.  
Lili from France

I have gone from loathing Dragunov(his Nazi-ish outfit made me mad as a hornet), to disliking him(until I realized it was just bad taste, not anti-Semitism), to flat-out loving him(because I bet he'll be ranting about the inevitable return of the USSR...and I'll love every minute of it.) As such, he will be a major player in the latter part of Doren's story. They would make such a good rivalry: Soldier vs Soldier, Counters vs Grapples.

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The graveyard: a tract of land that is used to bury the dead. Its inhabitants approached the thousands as over a mile of tombstones and statues covered the land, with an equal number of corpses buried beneath it. Why Jin Kazama chose this place to be a location for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 was anybody's guess. Perhaps it was because if any one of the fights went out of control…the competitors wouldn't have to go far if they snapped their neck. Of course, the victor of that fight would be disqualified as well, but he would still be in better shape than the loser.

Kenichi looked around and saw his opponent: a dark man who was easily seven feet tall wearing purple and green trousers with the word "Marduk" etched on either side. His blue gloves and elbow-pads had the word "Craig" on them. "Craig Marduk's the name! Smashing heads is my game!" Craig looked down at Kenichi and smirked with a toothy grin. "If you think I'm gonna take it easy on ya just because you're a little bugger, you've got another thing coming!"

"Gigantic sir," Kenichi bowed as he put his Masamune over his shoulder, "if you held back, I'd be insulted. Come on, I'll show you that size isn't everything!"

"Grrrrr..."

Craig ran towards his quarry with his head tucked in a ramming position. Kenichi quickly sidestepped and struck Marduk in the temple with a hand chop. "Ow! You little bastard!" The Australian shot his leg out just as he was struck and sent Kenichi flying backwards. "Ah-hahaha! Think you can get the best of me, mate? You're bloody pathetic!"

Craig resumed running towards Kenichi with his arms outstretched. Kenichi quickly sidestepped and let out a kick. Unfortunately for Kenichi, Craig had learned from past mistakes. Craig caught the leg, spun Kenichi around in the air, and then tossed him across the graveyard. Kenichi landed on his hands as he performed a back flip and caught his breath. Apparently, Kenichi had plenty of fight left in him.

_Think carefully, Kenichi,_ he thought to himself as Marduk continued with his verbal taunting, _you obviously can't beat this guy just by taking him head on. Focus..._

Kenichi looked behind him and saw just what he needed: a tombstone shaped like a Buddha statue. Apparently whoever had been buried underneath him had been a devout Buddhist. While the thought of desecrating a holy man's grave seemed sickening to Kenichi, all Kenichi had to do was look at the charging Craig to reaffirm what he had to do to avoid getting pummeled and, knowing Craig's prisoner mentality, violently sodomized.

"It's over kid! Goodbye!" Craig leapt forward in an attempt to tackle Kenichi and bring him into his potent Vale Tudo mount, but Kenichi jumped over Marduk with an impressive vertical leap…leaving Craig to meet his fate with the porcelain Buddha. Once Craig shattered the statue, he made a primal sound that Kenichi would remember for a very long time:

"AUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

When Craig destroyed the Buddha statue, some the resulting porcelain debris became lodged in his face. There were small bits of the statue just above his left eyebrow, and a slightly bigger shard in his right cheek. Craig quickly removed the larger shard, and he let out another scream of agony.

"Sorry, big guy. You should've looked before you leapt!" Kenichi shouted as he ran towards the Vale Tudo champion and dodged a wild punch. With that, Kenichi got up right in front of Craig and kicked him in the shins, causing the much larger man to kneel slightly. With the man's head now within distance, Kenichi let loose a trio of roundhouse kicks to Craig's head, with a tooth flying out on the final kick. Craig backed away until he had his back to the remains of the Buddha statue.

Kenichi pummeled Craig with another trio of kicks and a pair of straight punches, being careful as to avoid the random punches that his enraged adversary pulled out. Finally, Kenichi ducked under a powerful swing that would have certainly cracked his skull and thrust his right arm straight up, sending Marduk flying over the shattered Buddha and into the air. Just as Craig was about to land, Kenichi jumped up and let loose a side-swiping left kick, causing Craig to spin uncontrollably as he landed with a sickening thud. Craig let out a loud moan, and then faded into unconsciousness.

Once he was certain that he had won, Kenichi let out a long sigh. "Aw man," he said to no one in particular, "that was waaaaaaaay too close." Kenichi walked over to the shattered Buddha statue, got onto his knees, and took out his Masamune, which he stabbed into the ground. "Whoever you are, please forgive me for desecrating your final resting place." Kenichi pulled his sword out of the ground and put it back into his sheath on his back. "Namu Amida Butsu."

"Hey, Kenichi! That was awesome!"

Kenichi looked up to see Asuka running towards him. He initially thought that she was going to challenge him, but just as he was about to get into a fighting stance, Asuka leapt up onto him and hugged him. "W-what the-? Asuka, get a grip!"

"What?" Asuka realized what she was doing and quickly let go of Kenichi. "Sorry Kenichi. I guess I kinda lost control. But you beat Marduk! Everyone thought you were going to lose. I was so damn worried!" Asuka composed herself just as she finished that sentence. "After all, I need to be the one who beats you up!"

"Yeah, whatever," Kenichi dusted himself off and began walking with Asuka. "Are you already done with your fight? How did it go?"

"I…." Asuka looked down to ground, "The fight went…."

"Asuka, what's wrong?"

"….it went spectacular! I FINALLY BEAT FENG WEI!" Asuka pumped her fist in the air as she shouted out the news of her victory. "I finally avenged my father and beat that damn Chinaman to a pulp! Now those manboobs of his aren't the only things that are swollen!"

-------------------

"He has the ferocity of a tiger," Yoshimitsu looked down at Kenichi and Asuka from the hill he was standing on. His fight with Ganryu had taken place not too far from the battle between Kenichi and Craig. His fight ended rather quickly, and Ganryu was just waking up from his knockout slumber when he heard Yoshimitsu muttering to himself.

"Yoshimitsu, what has your attention?" Ganryu got up and walked over to Yoshimitsu and followed his gaze until he saw Kenichi and Asuka walking to the exit of the graveyard. "Do those children interest you?"

"Indeed, old friend," Yoshimitsu pointed to Kenichi. "Ever since the bastard-spawn Bryan Fury destroyed my clan, I have been left without a family or a successor. This is one of the reasons I entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6: to see if I can find anyone worthy enough to pass my secrets on to when my time finally comes. That boy down there….he just defeated Craig Marduk, the Vale Tudo champion and the man who slew Armor King."

"That scrawny boy defeated Marduk? What sort of power does this boy have?" Ganryu watched as Kenichi approached the gate of the graveyard and pushed it open. "Yoshimitsu, are you suggesting that-"

"Not suggesting, Ganryu," Yoshimitsu interrupted his sumo-wrestling friend as he began walking down the hill. "I know that this boy has what it takes…."


	10. Heihachi vs Hwoarang

to EvilYardGnome: Thanks for the tips. I'll keep that in mind when Kenichi and Asuka cross paths again.

As it turns out, Lili is actually from Monaco, and not from France as I originally thought. My geography sucks so I had to look up when Monaco is...and it's right next to France.

And with this chapter, so ends Round 1 of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.

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Mishima High School: the alma mater of Jin Kazama. School was not in session at the moment, but hundreds of students gathered in the courtyard regardless to watch the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. In the center of the courtyard was a twenty-foot-tall golden statue of Heihachi Mishima, who would be fighting Hwoarang in this very same courtyard.

"Hey you," Heihachi, wearing his black tiger gi, nodded to Hwoarang, who had just finished wading his way out of the crowd of schoolgirls that surrounded him. "Do you realize that Jin is trying to get you eliminated? Why else would he pair you against me in the first round?"

"Keep talking, you old fogy," Hwoarang tightened his gloves as he spoke, "Soon you'll be whining a whole different tune."

"Five hits," Heihachi murmured as he got into his fighting stance. "Five hits are all I'll need to defeat you."

Hwoarang stuck up his left leg in his trademark "Flamingo" stance and hopped towards Heihachi. Once he was close enough, Hwoarang's lifted leg shot out in an attempt to kick out Heihachi's teeth. Heihachi ducked under the kick and sent Hwoarang sprawling with a leaping uppercut, a move that was well known in his family: the Thunder Godfist. The Korean landed flat on his back.

"That's one…"

Hwoarang quickly got back up on his feet and shook his head. He had been hit with that attack numerous times before, but he didn't recall it hurting as much as it did now. The young Korean got back into his fighting stance and charged again. He narrowly ducked under Heihachi's punch and kicked him in the shins as hard as he possibly could. Heihachi kneeled slightly, and Hwoarang took the opportunity to try for his Dynamite Heel, an axe kick that used his ki. He lifted his leg up while his foot began to sparkle a bright blue. Once he thought he had put enough power into his leg, he brought it down on Heihachi's head, expecting the elder man to topple under the pressure of the kick…unfortunately for Hwoarang, Heihachi was still standing and now he had his arm on Hwoarang's leg.

"You call that a kick?" Heihachi taunted as he used his free hand to grab Hwoarang's neck. "THIS IS HOW YOU THROW A KICK!" Heihachi tossed Hwoarang into the air, then jumped up and hit the Korean with a spinning roundhouse kick from his right leg. Hwoarang spun uncontrollably as he again landed on his back.

"That's two…"

Hwoarang flipped onto his feet and let out a growl. He was the Tae Kwan Do prodigy; this was supposed to be his year. Instead, he's losing his breath to some old geezer whose time was supposed to be long past! _I won't stand for it_, Hwoarang thought to himself, _I'll send that old git straight to hell with this next set of moves!_

The young Tae Kwan Do fighter ran towards Heihachi with renewed vigor. He lifted the Japanese man up with a upward kick, then brought him down to the ground with a flip kick. Hwoarang landed on his feet, expecting to see Heihachi. Apparently, he was faster than his appearance lead to believe. "Where did he-"

"Look behind you, young man."

Hwoarang dashed around to see a sight that he wouldn't soon forget: Heihachi Mishima, in his Raijin stance, crackling with blue lightning. The elder martial artist lifted his right hand, then applied it to the face of Hwoarang, who tired to block the punch but to no avail. The Korean crumpled to the ground, and Heihachi stomped on his head just as it hit the floor. Hwoarang faded into unconsciousness for a moment, but a moment was all Heihachi needed. Hwoarang was down for the ten-count, and that made Heihachi Mishima the winner of the fight.

"Damn it….no," Hwoarang groggily got onto his feet as Heihachi walked away. "How the hell could I lose to an old geezer….I won't accept defeat!"

Hwoarang let out a yell as he charged towards Heihachi, who turned around and smiled. He easily ducked under Hwoarang's punch and struck him in the chest with an open-palmed thrust from his right arm.

"And that's five hits. Looks like I'm the winner. Keep practicing! BWAH-HAHAHA!"

Hwoarang clutched his chest and was about to attack again when he noticed a little girl coming towards him.

"Mr. Hwoarang, may I have your autograph?"

Hwoarang looked back up and saw that Heihachi was gone. "Damn! Stupid kid, you made me lose the fig-OWWWWW!" Hwoarang kneeled as he felt a sharp pain in his shins. He looked up and saw his master Baek with an absolutely terrifying expression on his face.

"You dare blameachild for your incompetence?" Baek's eyes burned into Hwoarang's soul. "YOU WILL SIGN THIS CHILD'S BOOK, AND YOU WILL _LIKE_ IT! IS THAT CLEAR?"

There were three things that gave Hwoarang the chills. One of them was an angry Julia Chang. During the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, he got the nerve to ask her out and it went into a conversation about the wildlife. Hwoarang was foolish enough to say that "it's so pointless to try to save the trees, as there will always be some schmuck to tear them down." Hwoarang was unable to feel anything in his groin area for nearly a week after the incident.

Another thing that frightened Hwoarang was Kazuya Mishima. The father of his rival Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima had an presence that could make even the bravest of men piss themselves. Hwoarang thanked God every day that he didn't come across him in the previous tournament, where Kazuya was as mad as a hornet. Heihachi was evil, but Kazuya was flat-out insane.

The final thing was his master, Baek Do San. Baek had tortured Hwoarang on almost a daily basis when he adopted him so very long ago, trying to teach him discipline. Unfortunately, Hwoarang's arrogance made it very difficult for this to happen, so Baek often had to use some of his most brutal training methods to make Hwoarang a half-decent citizen. Hwoarang knew full well that his master was not at all afraid to take his anger out on his star pupil, so he picked up the girl's book, and wrote his name in it….


	11. Doren vs Dragunov: the Offer

Did anyone here watch the Marshall/Kansas State game on ESPN2? I was there, because I happen to attend Marshall University and play in their marching band(I hope they showed the halftime show on TV). I'm sure everyone knows about that BONE-HEADED play at the end. There's a story behind it.

Coach Snyder tapped his watch with 3 fingers, meaning that Skinner, our daft quarterback, should let the clock run three seconds then call the timeout to let the kicker in and boot what would be a game-winning field goal. But Skinner, being the douchebag that he is, instead misinterpreted it and pointed to the goal line, which means go for it. So Skinner took a stupid risk and got intercepted when he should have called the timeout for the game-winning field goal. I knew what we had to do, the coach knew what he had to do, everyone in the stadium knew what we had to do.

But our quarterback is so...undeniably...RETARDED!

As you can plainly see from the brutality of Doren and the Dragster, I was taking my anger out on this fic. Enjoy!  
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"….OK, Natasha. Please be sure to keep the Shabbat candles lit tonight….I love you too, dear. Shabbat shalom."

Doren hung up his cell phone and put it in his pocket as he looked around. His next fight was scheduled on top of the helipad of a hospital. The Israeli soldier had a pretty good idea why Jin chose this place: the loser would already be home. Doren finally spotted his opponent: a man dressed in a Russian military garb with black gloves and a design of a swooping hawk on either side of where the buttons lined up.

He was about to face the Spetnaz commander, Dragunov.

"So you are the one defeated Irvin," Dragunov said as he climbing up the ladder that led to the helipad and got onto his feet. Doren noticed that Dragunov had a heavy Russian accent when he spoke; his fiancée Natasha had one just like it. Doren's train of thought was broken when Dragunov shouted, "Soldier! Name and rank!"

Doren quickly went into attention and saluted. "Doren Sharon, first lieutenant, Israeli defense force, Hagana unit, sir!"

_He's in the Hagana?_ Dragunov thought to himself, _this should make for an interesting fight indeed then. _"At ease, lieutenant…now prepare yourself!"

Doren narrowly dodged a punch by bending over backwards, and then brought his right fist down on Dragunov's head as Doren straightened himself. Dragunov evaded the left hook that Doren followed up with, and grabbed on to his arm in an attempt to bring him down with an armlock. The Israeli quickly grabbed on to Dragunov's neck with his other arm as they tumbled to the ground. As the two fighters intensified their lock on each other, Dragunov gurgled up some blood while Doren began to grit his teeth in pain. After three seconds of this, both fighters released their hold and each other and scrambled up.

Doren again tried to punch Dragunov, but the Russian soldier grabbed on and sent Doren flat on his back. As he reached for the temporarily fallen soldier to again try for an armlock, Doren sprang back onto feet, hitting Dragunov with his elbow on the way up. The Russian shook his head, then tried for a kick, but Doren shot out his leg even faster, hitting Dragunov in the stomach and sending him flying backwards.

Dragunov spat out some more blood and smiled as he went for Doren's right leg in a leglock attempt. Dragunov caught the leg, but not before finding Doren's left foot in front of his face. As Doren kicked out Dragunov's left incisor, the Russian managed to twist Doren's leg; there was no serious damage, but it was enough for Doren to grit his teeth in agony. Both combatants cried out in pain as they gripped their damaged appendages.

_Good…he didn't damage my leg too badly…_Doren thought as he let go of his right leg. _But I can't do this for very long. I have to end this soon. _He looked up and saw Dragunov rearing his fist back. Just as it was about to strike him, Doren saw his opportunity.

Doren quickly sidestepped the punch and grabbed to Dragunov's neck and the back of his uniform. Once he had gotten a good hold, he rammed in right knee into Dragunov's abdomen, and then repeated the attack only with his left knee. After completing then two knee strikes, he tightened his grip on Dragunov and tossed him over his shoulder and onto the hard floor with a loud thud.

"_Very _impressive, lieutenant," Dragunov said as he folded his arms while continuing to lay his back. "Now…finish it!"

"What do you mean?" Doren looked down at Dragunov, "you've been down for ten seconds, and that means that I am victorious. There is no need to apply any more force."

"….." Dragunov was silent as he got back up and rubbed his back, "you had the opportunity to end the fight numerous times during our match, yet you did not take any advantage of it until now…why?"

"Because the opportunities I did have would have crippled you indefinitely," Doren looked out to the sinking sun as he spoke. "I have seen some very disturbing things in my time as a soldier, and it is my firm belief that mercy is what can prevent such atrocities."

"Mercy will not get you very far," Dragunov straightened himself out, "I see you becoming an unstoppable force, but you have to let go of your petty emotions! Until you do that, you'll be nothing but a soft-hearted fool." Dragunov outstretched his hand towards Doren. "Why not join me? With my help you'll be the strongest soldier in the world."

"I may be a 'soft-hearted' fool, but the world needs more of those kinds of people than those who know nothing but hate and strife," Doren began walking away, "I'm sorry, but I do not believe that coming with you would help me in my quest for peace."

"…I see." Dragunov began pacing back and forth as Doren opened the door that led to the stairs of the hospital. "Then perhaps we can arrange a rematch." Doren stopped dead in his tracks when he heard those words. Dragunov smirked as he continued. "Meet me in the old Ostrheinsburg Chapel in Germany two weeks after the tournament. The day after you finish this tournament, my lieutenant will give you the exact date and time."

Doren smiled as he waved behind him. "I look forward to it. Shalom."

_Don't be late, lieutenant,_ Dragunov mused to himself, _because that's when we'll see just how tough you are._

_----------------------_

"Sir, are you all right?" A young man came up to Dragunov as his brunette superior came off the elevator of the hospital. Dragunov simply nodded as he continued walking towards the door. "Sir, I just received new orders from the general. We are to continue to observe the tournament and wait for an opportunity to apprehend our target."

"What do you mean 'our target'?" Dragunov looked to his youthful underling and raised an eyebrow. "I do not recall having any sort of 'target' in this tournament. Explain further, Corporal!" Dragunov was given a folder with sheets of paper and a photograph. Dragunov went for the photograph, and saw a brown-haired Japanese woman who couldn't possibly be older than 19. "I know this girl, she is competing in the tournament. What reason do we have for pursuing such a meaningless child?"

"Sir, if you would take a closer look at the report the KGB filed on her…" the corporal gave Dragunov a sheet of paper as the two took a seat on a bench outside of the hospital.

All Dragunov had to do was see the words "Kazuya Mishima" on the document to rouse his interest. "Kazuya…has a daughter?"

"It would seem so, sir, and our superiors ask that we take her alive. Unfortunately, we don't have any more information than what they told us." The corporal explained as he noticed Dragunov began to smirk. "Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted, corporal."

"What has you in such high spirits?"

"Just the thought that I'll be able to exact my vengeance on Kazuya with this mission," Dragunov stood up and began walking away as his corporal followed him. "Tell the general that I accept, and will take the opportunity to apprehend her when the time is right."

"Sir!"


	12. Jean vs Xiaoyu: Mounting Tensions

Let me begin by formally apologizing to all of the Ling lovers out there. I just thought it would be interesting to put Chinese martial arts against fencing/Savate. I have tried to make Ling as strong as possible without making her seem too powerful. Enjoy, and please don't hate me.

And Firebat has pointed out some little plot holes that I was going to reveal in later chapters, but might as well reveal now.

**1.**I'm assuming that Devil Within happened, and Jin found out about the existence of Jun. And he already did a thorough search for her in Devil Within but found nothing. Now his plan is to beat the information out of someone who DOES know where she is(and that someone is none other than Jean.)

**2.** Since Devil Within happened, Jin became all the wiser when he kept running blindly into hordes of G-Corp's creatures. This takes place a year after Tekken 5, and Jin has become far more patient as he has grown older.

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The junkyard: A yard or lot that is used to store trash, such as scrap metal or resalable car parts. Today the yard was enjoying a large crowd as one of the stages for Round 2 of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Jean saw his opponent walking from the crowd of people: Ling Xiaoyu, one of Jin Kazama's personal bodyguards. She was a lithe Chinese woman with black hair in a kokosei outfit; more specifically it was the school uniform of Mishima High School. At her side were Jin Kazama and Eddy Gordo.

"So…you've come," Jean looked at Jin as he removed Flambert from his sheath. "You must not care too much for her if you're sending her against me."

"Shut up, blondie," Ling snapped as she approached Jean, "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Christie! Isn't that right Eddy?"

"Just be careful OK?" Eddy, who was wearing a knit shirt, a pair of jeans and sunglasses, simply nodded. "Christie underestimated him, and look what happened. Kick his ass, but do it carefully." Eddy had been defeated in the previous round, so he had plenty of time on his hands. His first priority was to make sure the bastard who gave his dear pupil Christie a thrashing didn't do a similiar thing to anyone else.

"Heh, heh…it's going to take a lot more that care to stop me!" Jean got his rapier into preparation and began the fight.

Ling jumped over Jean's thrust with a forward flip, and landed behind him with her back turned. The moment Jean turned around, Ling shot out her right leg behind her and hit Jean in the face. Jean took a backhanded swing at her, but she flipped over his head and again landed right behind him. Ling twirled around and shot her palms out forward and hit Jean in the back before he could react.

Jean parried a kick and followed up with his a hook from his free hand. Ling moved with the fist, thus avoiding any serious damage. She then jumped on top on Jean's head and launched herself off, pushing his head into the ground. "Hey Jin, Eddy! Did you guys see that?" Ling waved to her two friends standing nearby, who simply pointed at Jean, who was standing up.

_Get a hold of yourself_, Jean thought to himself as he got back up. _Regardless of how fast she is, she is using Chinese martial arts and like all martial arts they involve precision, rhythm and flow._ Jean closed his eyes and replayed Ling's moves in his mind. After two seconds, he smiled as he heard Ling's footsteps becoming louder as she ran towards him. He opened his eyes and saw the opportunity he was looking for. _Yes! I can see it now!_ "Now, my dear…let us dance."

Jean hit Ling with his knee, and then brought down his elbow on her head. Once he had done that, he poked her in the kneecap with his rapier. Ling shot out her hand in retaliation, and Jean ducked under her slap accordingly. She brought her palm down, and Jean sidestepped again. As he rose up, he struck Ling with his knee and then grabbed her arm and quickly stabbed her in the stomach, being careful as to not hit a vital spot. He didn't want to get disqualified just because her opponent was hemorrhaging too soon.

Then Jean stabbed her again and again, faster and faster.

At first, Ling had little trouble dodging the thrust, but the stronger they became she had to resort to blocking. The blade licked at her arms again and again as trinkles of blood continued to ooze from them. Ling finally put hers arms down so that she should counterattack and she spun around for a roundhouse kick. At the same time, Jean leapt up in the air for his own roundhouse kick. The two legs clashed and Ling dropped to the floor. The loss of blood, combined with Jean's confusing style and powerful kicks, were beginning to overwhelm her.

"And now…," Jean walked over to the struggling Ling and positioned his rapier in a stabbing position, "…the coup de grace!"

But just as Jean was about to deliver the finishing blow, he noticed a gloved hand blocking his way. He looked up, and saw Jin Kazama. "That's enough," Jin said as he kneeled to Ling's level. "This match is over."

"You mind saying that again?" Jean stuck a finger in his ear and began twisting, "I thought I had something crazy in my ear."

"If you continue attacking her, I will disqualify you on the spot!" Jin stood back up and began staring Jean down. "As the head of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, I am demanding that this fight be stopped right now!"

Jean simply smirked as Jin's glare continued to burn away at him. Finally, he licked the blood of his rapier and put it back in his sheath saying, "If that is what the sponsor commands, I shall follow without question." He walked passed Jin and Ling and waded into the crowd, brushing Eddy aside. Eddy was about to go after him, but Jin shook his head and Eddy nodded reluctantly.

"Are you all right Xiao? Can you stand?" Jin turned his attention back to Ling, who was sitting in disbelief.

"I still could've kicked his butt if you gave me more time," Ling put her head down in shame as Eddy came over with some guaze tape. "But I guess it's all right in the end. You were worried about me and you came to my rescue!" Ling giggled as she leapt up and hugged Jin. "My knight in shining armor…" Apparently, her scars did nothing to hinder her cheerful demeanor.

"Hey Jin," Eddy looked as Jin as he gave Ling her guaze tape. "Can I ask you something? Why the hell did you invite that psycho?"

"Because he knows something," Jin walked over to Eddy then began looking up into the sky, "That man works for G-Corporation, and he knows where my mother is. That's why in the next round…I will be his opponent."


	13. Kenichi vs Raven: Fighting Spirit

I decided to send this one in a bit earlier than normal because I have band day today. And I must say...this is perhaps one of my favorites thus far. Kenichi Masamune seems to always bring out the best of my writings whenever he fights. Hopefully there aren't as many plot holes as the last chapter.

Enjoy!  
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Early in the King of Iron Fist Tournament's history, Heihachi Mishima made the tournament, more or less, a street fighting competition. The fighters would go to random locations around the globe, and proceed to beat each other unconscious. Jin Kazama, although wishing to keep the tournament in one city so that he could make sure nothing would go too out of hand, must have respected this and made one of the locations of his tourney in the street. At an intersection near the Mishima Mansion, two fighters prepared to square off in the second round of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.

"I wasn't expecting to face you so early in the tournament," Kenichi turned around as Raven jumped out of the window of an adjacent building and landed gracefully a few yards away from the Japanese fighter. The grey-clad fighter was wearing a very traditional ninja garb: grey shirt, pants, and hood, sleeves made of red lace, and a crimson mask that covered his mouth. "So you're going to tell me what I want to know."

"Your dad was shipping weapons for the Yakuza," Raven stood up straight and crossed his arms. "And I was the one who took him out before he could do so. Kid, you already know everything you have to know, so stop bothering me."

"Detective Wulong said there was probably more to it than that, but he can't connect the dots," Kenichi got into a fighting stance as he spoke, "so he's asked me to make fill in the blanks." The boy smiled as he continued speaking, "Besides, I've been itching to test my skills against a real-life ninja!"

"Heh…a ninja versus a boy with samurai blood," Raven smirked as Kenichi began running towards him, "this should make for an interesting fight…for both of us!"

Raven back flipped away from Kenichi's left hook, then pounced back and tackled the teenage martial artist. Raven raised his left fist and brought it down, and was about to do the same with his right when Kenichi reversed the tackle, and Raven found himself caught in the tackle rather than in control of it. Kenichi punched Raven in face twice, but just when he was about to apply a third blow, Raven pushed Kenichi off of him and scrambled onto his feet.

Kenichi ran towards Raven and rammed into him with a shoulder tackle, sending the ninja sprawling. The ninja landed on his hands and flipped onto his feet. Raven looked up and saw the Japanese lad charge forward. Raven blocked a horizontal chop and countered with a kick to the head which Kenichi evaded effortlessly. But Kenichi soon realized that it was just a snare for a different technique.

Raven stabbed into Kenichi with his fingers and sent the boy flying backwards. The blow took its toll on the Japanese fighter: he felt like he had just been hit with the sharp end of a knife, threatening to pierce his innards. Raven ran after Kenichi as the boy gripped his midsection where he had been stabbed and kicked him high into the air. Once he did that, Raven jumped up after him and hit him with a roundhouse kick, then a powerful backhanded swing, and finally sent him down to the ground with an axe kick.

"AGH!"

Kenichi landed on his feet once again and caught his breath. _He's incredible, _Kenichi's mind raced as he got back up and wiped the blood trickling from his mouth, _it's no wonder that my father couldn't keep up with him._ A smile crept upon the boy's lips as Raven landed gracefully and looked at Kenichi. _I wouldn't have it any other way. This is what martial arts is all about!_

"This is it! Prepare yourself!" Raven leapt back up into the air and began falling back to the earth with his fist raised, ready to give Kenichi the finishing blow.

_This is it, all right…for you!_

Just as Raven was about to reach his intended target, Kenichi shot out his right hand straight up in an open-palmed strike. The blowhit Raven right in the stomach as the ninja fell from the sky. Kenichi pushed Raven back into the air, and gave him another uppercut, this time with a fist, and sent the ninja high into the air. Kenichi jumped up after him with his impressive vertical leap and was right above the falling Raven. He then positioned his right foot on Raven's stomach for a diving kick as the two fighters plummeted to the ground, with Raven landing on his back with Kenichi's foot in his midsection.

Kenichi flipped away as he landed and watched as Raven groggily got back up. Kenichi could notice a small dark stain on the ninja's red mouth cover: he had actually made him cough up blood.

_UN-BE…lievable, _Raven's emphasized the syllables in his mind as he looked at Kenichi, who was perhaps a good 7 yards away. The boy was still in his fighting stance raring to go. _The kid's got spunk I'll give him that._ Raven then felt a surge of excitement wash over him. _I haven't had this much fun fighting someone in such a long time…not since I first started training to become a kage. I guess the fighting spirit still burns within me after-_

"Raven, that's enough." Raven's headset radio that was hidden beneath his hood blared to life. "I have new orders. You are to forfeit the match and meet up with Agent Sparrow at the entrance of the Tokyo Dome immediately."

"….sir?" Raven muttered in disbelief as he dodged Kenichi's punch and sent the boy flying backwards with a kick.

"We can't afford to have you in this tournament. We need you to go behind the scenes, and we can't have you do that with you in the spotlight. Just give the boy the lead he's looking for, and he'll solve theYakuza case for us while we attend other matters. In the meantime, you are to forfeit your match."

"Understood," Raven nodded as Kenichi dusted himself off and got back into his fighting stance. Kenichi moved forward again and reared his fist back when Raven put out his hand. "Hold it kid. That's enough."

"Hm? What do you mean "that's enough?"

"I have to get going now, so I'm going to tell you what you want to know." Raven put down his hand once Kenichi got out of his fighting stance and crossed his arms. "Your father was introduced to the Yakuza 22 years ago by a man named Kazuya Mishima. If you can figure out what he was doing at that time, you can figure out why he was trusted with those weapons." And with that, Raven pulled out a smoke bomb from his pocket and threw it to the ground.

"What? No!" Kenichi blinded groped through the bog of smoke as his eyes began to water. When the smoke cleared, Kenichi was alone, left with nothing but his smoke-induced tears and the words that Raven left him as the bomb went off: "When you feel that you have learned everything you wanted to know…we'll finish our battle."


	14. Heihachi vs Combot: Walk in the Park

Well kuri-chan just retranslated Dragunov and Lili's profiles...turns out that Dragunov never met Bruce, or knew about Kazuya. In fact, he's only 26 in T5! That means Doren will be one year older than Dragster by the time T6 arrives.

I'll have to put on my thinking cap. Hmmm...I GOT IT!

FORTUNATELY, Dragunov has only been featured in one chapter, so I can save face and still make it Namco-official. I'll just say that he knows Bruce by reputation, and the reason he wants revenge on Kazuya will be that he gave Dragster a royal butt-whooping in the previous tournament.

There, face saved! It's a good thing Kuri-chan translated this before it got too far into the story.

This probably be my last chapter for two weeks. Next week is Rosh Hashanah(so that means Doren won't be fighting either. He'll be busy looking for a synagouge in Tokyo!), and the trip to Virginia Tech. That's right, I'm travelling back to my home state!

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The Jindai Shokubutsu Park: best known for its botanical garden. One can enjoy the greenery of the trees and the beauty of the flowers all year round. It used to be a nursery for street trees in Tokyo. After the war, it was opened to the public as "Jindai Ryokuchi" or "green lung." In 1961, the name was changed to "Jindai Shokubutsu Koen". And it became the only botanical garden in Tokyo at that time.

Now, it has 100,000 trees and shrubs representing approximately 4,500 varieties. It is divided into 30 blocks according to variety, rose, azalea, ume plum, bush clover, among others. It is designed to be able to learn the knowledge of the trees and plants while you enjoy gazing at them. Furthermore, the institution is working on protecting species which have been grown in Japan for a long time. It also has the exhibitions and other activities related to gardening to redound to citizens' interest in the trees and plants

Heihachi knew this place quite well: this was where he met his beloved Kazumi over fifty years ago. While he was certain that Jin Kazama had absolutely no idea about that little tidbit, returning here made Heihachi feel…uncomfortable. _Let's see what unmitigated fool would dare challenge me here…_

As if on cue, Heihachi heard a footstep and turn around and saw a silver-haired man bishonen of a man wearing a lavender jacket with the words "Silver Devil" on the back, a navy blue t-shirt and dark purple jeans. "Am I to assume that you are to be my next opponent, Lee?" Heihachi crossed his arms as his 49-year-old son smiled.

"As much as I would like to…I can't," Lee Chaolan pointed to a bandage on his cheek, "Kazuya spoiled my fun and knocked me out of the tournament two hours ago."

"You made it past the first round? I'm impressed."

"Shut the hell up," Lee snapped as he pointed behind Heihachi, "because your next opponent will kick your ass from here to Kyoto!"

Heihachi turned around and saw his opponent: a bipedal machine with clamps for hands, metallic dishes for feet, and steel pipes for limbs. Its muscles consisted of tightly-strung wires, and its torso and head were made of plastic-steel. On its shoulders and chestplate was the kanji character "ten." The head was white and had a long snout, much like an anteater, with two red eyes the glowed ominously. "Robots," Heihachi muttered to himself, "I hate robots."

"My new improved Combot is going to snap your neck like a rotted twig," Lee Chaolan took a seat at a nearby parkbench as Heihachi and Combot squared off. "Combot…."

Heihachi's and Combot's fists clashed as Lee shouted the word "go." Heihachi evaded a follow-up punch and shot out his left foot. Combot walked backward as the kick hit it and shook it off. _I see that idiot Lee gave it some more human qualities this time,_ Heihachi noticed as Combot began walking towards him once again, _I guess that fool still hasn't learned that no mere machination can match the soul._

Once it was within striking distance, Combot shot out its left leg and Heihachi ducked under it accordingly…falling right into the robot's trap. Combot brought its left leg down upon Heihachi, forcing him flat on his face. Then the robot brought its right leg down upon Heihachi's head: his own trademark Geta Stomp. A mere** robot**…created by his **adopted** son Lee Chaolan….was using **his** techniques.

At this point, Heihachi's animosity towards robots reached its peak.

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Heihachi shot back up as Combot raised its foot for another stomp, tipping the unbalanced robot over. The old man quickly lifted his right leg and stomped on Combot's head in the same fashion that the robot did to him merely a few seconds earlier.

The robot rolled to the left when Heihachi tried to utilize another Geta Stomp, and stood back up. Heihachi, still annoyed, picked up the robot by the pipe that acted as its neck and tossed it across the field.

"Is that all that your machine can muster, Lee?" Heihachi looked to his silver-haired son who was watching from his bench. He noticed that a cruel smile crept upon Lee's lips just as he finished his sentence. Heihachi turned around and saw Combot's clamp-like hand right before it hit him in the chest and sent him flying backwards. Heihachi landed on his feet and let his rage continue to build: now it used his favorite technique, the Iron Hand.

Heihachi ducked under Combot's swing as the robot approached him and swept it off its feet with a leg sweep, followed up with a Thunder Godfist. Combot spun in the air uncontrollably as it hit the ground. The robot stood back up only to be sent back down to the ground again when Heihachi shot out both of his palms out unto Combot's midsection as he crackled with cerulean lightning: his infamous Dragon's Breath maneuver. Combot again stood back up and grabbed Heihachi by the neck…and rammed its head into his.

"How…DARE YOU!"

Heihachi rammed his own head into Combot's, causing the light inside its eye to sputter out. The elder man repeated the process, and the said eye popped out. The robot returned the headbutt, and Heihachi did the same in earnest. And so began the Headbutt Carnival. Heihachi rammed his head into Combot again and again, knocking off new pieces of its metallic skull each time. "Combot, NO!" Lee cried out as he watched his creation begin to smoke.

"I'll show you…." Heihachi let go of the robot's neck and headbutted it once again, causing its forehead to cave in and popping out the other eye, "…what it means…" then he hit it with a vertical hand chop, adding to the massive dent in it's forehead, "TO FIGHT WITH ME!" and finally shot out his right palm and sent the sp robot sprawling to the ground. As the robot stopped moving, Heihachi let loose a maniacal laugh.

"No, my beloved Combot!" Lee Chaolan jumped off the park bench he was sitting on and ran towards his fallen creation. The robot's eyes flickered briefly as Lee picked up its smashed head and it spoke, "M-missionf-f-f-failure…father..." Lee let out another cry of anguish as it then began speaking in binary. Heihachi, satisfied with a job well done, spat on the ground and walked away….


	15. The Tangled Web We Weave

I guess I was able to finish a chapter after all.

Anyhoo, here's that chapter I made out of my waiting for a ride to synagouge(a ride did come, fortunately.) It's basically an Asuka origin chapter, because maDawg wanted an explanation of why Asuka is crushing on Kenichi all of the sudden. So, here we go.

Did you know that I wasn't going to make Asuka and Kenichi a couple until someone suggested it?

Also, I am trying to make Dragunov less of a one-dimensional villain, and more of a muli-layered one: someone who is honorable in his own right.

Remember girls, HIS UNNAMED CORPORAL IS STILL SINGLE! XD

And as you can see from the matchups, a certain yellow-eyed hottie makes her presence known in the upcoming battles!

_---------------------------------------------------_

_No way..._

Asuka looked at her computer in disbelief. The pairings for the quarterfinals were already up and on the tournament website. Asuka, being the curious girl that she was, eagerly turned on her laptop as soon as she got back to her hotel room. She had half-hoped to fight that new guy Doren Sharon: they both excelled in the way of self-defense, and it would be interesting to try her skills against his.

Instead, her next opponent was someone who she had secretly hoped would face if she made it to the finals: Kenichi Masamune, her greatest rival, and perhaps even more than that. On her screen was the following message:

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6

Quarterfinals

Toyko Dome

Fight 1: Paul Phoenix vs. Kazuya Mishima

Fight 2: Jin Kazama vs. Jean Sorel

Fight 3: Heihachi Mishima vs. Unknown (Real name not applicable)

Fight 4: Doren Sharon vs. Nina Williams

Fight 5: Asuka Kazama vs. Kenichi Masamune

During the previous tournament, Asuka Kazama was brutally beaten by Feng Wei, the very same man who had brutally beat her father. When she went back to her home in Osaka, she was but a shadow of the cheerful girl she actually was. She wouldn't even ride her bicycle much anymore. All she would do is train nonstop, and even then she knew that she probably didn't have what it took to defeat Feng Wei.

About a week after she came home, Kenichi arrived at the dojo for another challenge. Asuka jumped at the chance, for she was primed to tear apart anyone she came across thanks to doing nothing but throwing punches all day.

She was floored thirteen seconds into the match.

"What the hell was that? Are you still moping about that Chinaman?" Kenichi had said as he helped up Asuka. "Don't you worry, Asuka-chan. I'll make sure that the next time you face him, you teach him the meaning of pain."

In the ten months that followed, Kenichi and Asuka trained together with the intent of defeating Feng Wei. Kenichi had concluded that Asuka's loss was not because she was weak physically, but because that she couldn't focus herself properly when she faced Feng. "In a fight, it's normal that you'll feel a little bit uneasy. But it's stupid to try only to reject and refuse these feelings. Sometimes, the path of the warrior requires letting in dark feelings, weighing them, and then letting them go." Asuka knew these words well: her father had told them to her once, but she was young when he said them and really had no idea what they meant, so she just thought it was something she would understand when she was his age.

But when she heard those very same words from Kenichi, someone who was the same age as her, Asuka finally began to understand what those words mean.

In other words, Asuka was trying to hold back her dark feelings of vengeance when she had faced Feng Wei, because she knew that rage would hinder her fight. While that was true, she had also held back some of her fighting spirit and Feng would be able to get the best of her mentally. Rage is common reaction to stuff like that, Kenichi had told her, but in a fight she would have to learn to focus that rage into something greater: excitement; the excitement of facing the man who defeated her father, a warrior himself.

It would be at the end of those ten months that Kenichi would be facing an emotionally trying experience of his own. His father, Takeshi Masamune, was murdered by a ninja. As it turned out, he had been trusted with weapons from the Yakuza, and was eliminated when someone found out about it.

His father…was a criminal. And he didn't really know how long it had been going on.

A man who he had respected and looked up to all his life; the very same man who helped him forge his good-luck sword, had been betraying his trust for so long. He asked his mother how he became involved with the Yakuza, and he learned very little. All he could learn was that his father was only in the Yakuza because of an old friend.

Asuka had a similar thing happen to her: like Kenichi, her father had once been attacked by a martial artist. Only for her, she still had a father to go to afterwards. Kenichi was now left without a dad. Seeing Kenichi begin to waver, Asuka reminded him of the words that he had told her, and his revolve began to strengthen. He would find Raven, and make him tell just who was this "old friend," that would entrust his father to become a weapons merchant.

From that point on, Asuka no longer saw him as Kenichi Masamune, her persistent rival in the martial arts. She saw him as Kenichi Masamune, a noble young man with a strong sense of right and wrong…and she liked what she saw. And that's when the truth dawned upon her: she had fallen in love with him. During her rematch with Feng Wei, Kenichi's words echoed through her head. When the fight was over she had not only won, but had made Feng Wei acknowledge her skills and bow in respect.

_If not for him, I probably wouldn't have made it past the first round,_ she thought to herself as she turned off her computer and turned on the TV and picked up the phone, _I guess this was just destiny: he wanted to see me strong enough to challenge him again, and here I am: sitting in a hotel room, wondering what our fate will be just beyond the next fight…_

_-----------------------------------------_

"It's difficult to believe the general would be interested in such an insignificant teenage girl," Dragunov looked through his binoculars at his quarry in the hotel. He was currently lying on a neighboring rooftop with his trusted aide also looking at their target through his own pair of binoculars. Dragunov's train of thought was broken when he heard in a falsetto voice, "Hello oji-chan! How are you? You're not going to believe who my next oppon-"

"CORPORAL!" Dragunov screamed at his youthful aide as his patience wore out. "What in God's name are you doing?"

"I'm reading her lips, sir," the corporal replied in his normal voice, "this way we can know what she is saying. After all, you told me that I'll need every skill available on the battlefield."

"Do you have to do it in that infernal voice?"

"…I apologize, sir. I did not know that it offended you."

"Thank you," Dragunov said coldly. While the 27-year-old Spetsnaz officer knew that his corporal was a bright young man, he couldn't help but find his innocent demeanor troublesome. "What did you find out about that name I asked for?" Dragunov looked to his aide, who put down his binoculars and walked over to his now-standing superior.

"Sir, Doren Sharon is widely considered the most skilled fighter in the Israeli Special Forces. He is also one of the lead negotiators in the Gaza Strip conflict. His fighting style is a combination of Krav Maga and Police Jujitsu," the corporal gave Dragunov a dossier and he flipped through it until he found some pictures. One of them was of the Israeli fighting Nina Williams in a tournament that was dated three years ago (an interesting turn of events, he mused, as Nina was to be the Israeli's next opponent), and another was of him talking with another woman. It was this picture that caught Dragunov's interest. The young woman was incredibly lovely, with an impressive build that showed that she was obviously an athlete, and hair as white as snow.

The corporal looked at the picture that Dragunov was looking at and said, "The woman with him is Natasha Federov. She's a fighter from Moscow who uses Chinese martial arts. If you like, I can have the KGB pull up-"

"I know who Natasha is," Dragunov interrupted as he gave the dossier and photos back to his underling. _So that ring you wear on your finger is from Natasha, _Dragunov mused to himself, _what a tangled web we weave, lieutenant…._


	16. Kazuya vs Paul: Little Secret

Well my midterm grades are here...and I have a Din Calculusdue to bad tests at the beginning of the year. Unlike high school, we only get like four tests for the entire semester, giving me very little room for error. Oh well, it can only get better, so long as I continue studying and take advantage of the tutors.

On to some better news,

A friend burned me a copy of the entire S season ofSailor Moon. As you might have guessed, I am a big fan of Sentai(I think SM would count as Sentai). Over 30 hours of Bunny and Co. crying, talking about alternate lifestyles, going through boyfriends like tissue paper, and kicking people's asses. Hell yes.

Besides: how many shows have Lesbians as main characters? XD

...ON TO THE POINT! (Points finger high up into the air in a dramatic pose)

Enjoy, and I look forward to feedback. I am introducing Kazuya as one of the new focuses of the story.

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Over the past couple of days, Jin Kazama had used every resource he had to make the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 an enjoyable event for almost every age, whether the person was a spectator, or a competitor. The revised rules he had created for the tournament allowed for a practically non-existent chance of permanent injury while still allowing the fighters to use their most devastating techniques. With all the fights being located in one city, it also allowed for the competitors to get to their fights easier and on schedule, thus avoiding another mishap such as the one that caused Paul Phoenix to lose a chance to become a finalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. The result was the largest tournament registration in the contest's history, with forty competitors. After two rounds of punches, kicks, and grapples that spanned all across Tokyo, the third round of the King of Iron Fist Tournament would now be localized into one location: the Tokyo Dome.

The Tokyo Dome was packed solid as the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 Quarterfinals finally began. In the center of the stadium was an octagon-shaped ring with the word "TEKKEN" etched in the center of the ring in a large silver font. Under the word in a smaller, purple font were the words, "The King Of Iron Fist Tournament 6."

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming!" A middle-aged male voice blared over the speakers of the stadium. "Welcome the third round of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Our first match-up will be between two tournament veterans, both of whom are former finalists!" The lights grew dim as the announcer continued, "He's the champion of the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament and the sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. He was also a finalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. A user of Mishima-ryu karate, please welcome back…Kazuya Mishima!"

The spotlight shone on a scowling Japanese man walking towards the ring. He wore red fingerless gloves with silver beads embedded in them. His black hair seemed to grow opposite of his face and formed a point, giving it an almost pyramid-shape. Kazuya had very peculiar eyes: his right eye was brown, but his left eye glowed crimson. The long tails of his purple tuxedo blew in the wind elegantly as he marched up the three steps of the stadium. Once he was in the ring, he crossed his arms and continued to remain emotionless.

Suddenly, a loud revving of an engine was heard at the other side of the runway. The spotlight shone to the runway to reveal a blonde man wearing a red gi and purple glovesandsandals, sitting on top of a motorcycle. Every strand of his hair pointed straight up, giving the top of his head a flat appearance. "Fuel" by Metallica blared over the area as the announcer resumed speaking and the man on the motorcycle began driving towards the ring.

"He's competed in every King of Iron Fist Tournament, and was a semifinalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and a finalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Coming from the United States, and using a fighting style of his own design, let's welcome back…Paul Phoenix!" Paul pumped his fist in the air as he pulled up in front of the ring. The crowd roared its approval as he put his hand to his ear and motioned his other hand towards the crowd. The cheers grew increasingly louder.

"Time to settle old accounts, Kazzy," Paul got off of his motorcycle and walked into the ring as he spoke.

A very thin smirk crept on Kazuya's face as he replied, "I could not have put it better myself, gaijin." Kazuya uncrossed his arms and slowly got into his fighting stance. As he did so, slits at the edges of the ring opened up and grated walls began emerging from the slits.

"Hey Kazzy…if you beat me, I'll tell you a little secret!" Paul got into his own fighting stance as he spoke. Kazuya raised an eyebrow when Paul said that. While Paul was not particularly bright, he was well informed of the tournament and its competitors. Kazuya was certain that the "little secret" involved the tournament, and its competitors, and possibly a winning edge over them.

"How about you tell me now?" Kazuya retorted.

"Hey hold on there! It's been over twenty years since we duked it out last!"

"I see…" Kazuya clenched his fist as began running towards Paul as he spoke "…WANT TO DIE, DO YOU?"

Paul grabbed Kazuya's arm and tossed him over his shoulder, sending the Japanese man flat on his back. Kazuya rolled to his left to avoid Paul's fist as he shot out his arm to the fallen man. The Japanese man stood back up and returned to his fighting stance as Paul gripped his fist in pain where he punched the floor. Paul, noticing the strange looks from his received from some people in the front row, released his hand and shot his arm up in the air and received a mild response from the crowd.

Paul looked back towards Kazuya and found his foot hit the side to his head, followed by a punch to the jaw, a kick to the hip, and a punch to the stomach that sent Paul spinning uncontrollably into the air for a short while and landing with a thud. Kazuya stomped on Paul's back as he tried to get up, causing the American to scream out in pain before rolling to his right when Kazuya utilized the same tactic again. Paul flipped back onto his feet and swayed backwards to avoid a punch, and then he ducked under a kick and hit Kazuya with his Phoenix Smasher, a right straight punch that used his ki. It was a nice clean hit, and the crowd roared its approval as Kazuya flew backwards and crashed into the grated wall.

Kazuya had been hit with this attack once before, over twenty years ago, and he had once compared it to being hit with a truck. It hurt then, and it certainly hurt now.

Kazuya shook his head as he tried to shake off the feeling of dizziness. Fortunately, Paul was too busy working the crowd to notice Kazuya getting back onto his feet. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Look behind you, you stupid idiot," and Kazuya sent Paul in the air with a Thunder Godfist just as the blonde fighter turned around. Paul landed on his feet, and dodged a backhanded right punch. Paul ducked under a high kick and kicked Kazuya in the shin, followed by an elbow to his stomach. Then Paul spread out both his arms, once again sending Kazuya reeling. Landing on his feet, Kazuya tightened his fist and began crackling with blue static and began to slowly spin towards Paul. A few feet away, Paul reared back and began sparkling with orange energy.

The two fighters were calling forth what was left of their energy for a final, massive strike that would end the match. Once Kazuya was within range, he stopped spinning and hit Paul in the chin with his Lightning Screw Uppercut, and was hit with Paul's Burning Death Fist simultaneously. The two fighters crumpled to the ground and stopped moving. As their faces hit the floor, the ringside official began the countdown.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-"

Kazuya slowly got up from the ground and groggily stood back up at "9." Paul wasn't as quick to get up. As the announcer shouted "10," Kazuya walked over to Paul's body and grabbed him by his collar as the grated walls around them lowered back into the floor. "Talk, gaijin…now!" Kazuya's voice was filled with murderous intent as he stared down Paul, who was just beginning to regain his senses. Blood was trickling down both of their faces as the two fighters spoke.

"Easy, Kaz," Paul spoke calmly, as if he were speaking about the matter over tea, "I caught that new guy, the French dude, at a bar last night. He came up to me saying that if I beat you and crippled you, he'd pay me $500,000,000. Obviously I didn't take it. Kicking your ass is an honor alone, and crippling a dude is just damn cruel."

"…I already knew that Sorel wanted my hide," Kazuya slowly put Paul down and the two began walking out of the ring. "I can't believe I got worked up over information as useless as that…"

"Hey man, that wasn't the big secret." Paul said as he noticed Jin beginning to walk over, "Hey listen, Lei told me to keep this secret from Jin but…" Paul began whispering in Kazuya's ear as Jin tried to get in on their conversation. All Jin had to do was noticed Kazuya's surprised expression to know that what ever Paul was talking about, it was big.

_I'll figure it out later,_ Jin thought to himself as he continued walking towards the ring. _Whatever it is, they can't hide it from me for long!_

"Are you certain?" Kazuya said quietly as he sat down at a ringside seat and was handed a water bottle by one of the ring girls. "Why would you tell me about this?"

"Kazzy, that hurts," Paul took a swig of his water bottle and sat down next to Kazuya. "I've got nothing to hide from you! I mean, come on…you're my pal!"

"…Gaijin, what you said must NOT reach anyone else. This is between you, Wulong, and myself. You got that?" Kazuya's voice was no longer filled with murderous intent. Clearly Paul had struck a sensitive spot. Paul, not one to take advantage of someone, simply nodded.

"Hey don't you worry Kazzy. It's just between the three of us!"

"And for the last time…stop calling me that."


	17. Jin vs Jean: Bloody Storm

To C.Nash1: You seem to be confusing Paul with Heihachi. Kazuya's arch-enemy is Heihachi; Paul and Lee are Kazuya's nemeses. In that respect, a far more accurate description of Kazuya and Paul's relationship would be Kyo vs. Iori: they both respect each other as martial artists, but they're not exactly friends.

Kazuya DOES NOT consider Paul his pal, he sees him a bother and an annoyance. The only reason he didn't do anything nasty to him was because Paul knew something.

Paul on the other hand, DOES consider Kazuya a "friend," if only because he is a worthy opponent.

And yes, I have watched Ronin Warriors. It wasn't too bad, but it still can't compare to the awesomeness that is Power Rangers in Space.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, now entering the ring is the King of Iron Fist 3 champion and the sponsor of today's tournament. Using karate, please give up for JIN KAZAMA!"

The crowd popped as Jin Kazama entered the ring. He was wearing a white knit shirt, a gold and black karate belt, and black pants with white flames etched into them. His red fingerless gloves were covered with blue-and-white armguards, each with a silver spiral. He knew one thing for certain: those armguards of his would be tested. Jin lightly waved to the crowd as he approached the center of the ring.

"And his opponent: he's a former Olympic gold medalist in fencing, and a former middleweight champion in Savate. Competing in his first King of Iron Fist Tournament, from France…JEAN SOREL!"

_I pack a chainsaw…  
Skin your ass raw…  
And if my day keeps going this way I just might  
BREAK YOUR F--KING FACE TONIGHT!_

A heavily remixed version of "He Said, She Said" blared over the arena as Jean walked down the runway to the ring. As he approached the ring, he took the arm of a nearby ring girl, lightly kissed her hand, and continued on his way as if nothing had happened. Once he entered the ring, he pulled out his rapier and performed a series of kicks. The demonstration received a mild response from the audience.

"I'm going to make this quick for you," Jin tightened his gloves as he spoke, "Where is my mother?"

"Listen to that crowd, Kazama," Jean said, as if he completely ignored what Jin had said. "They want to see some violence. And I can promise you that they'll be getting some before this match is over."

"Well, I can guarantee you that they will be seeing plenty of it as I pay you back for what you did to Xiao," Jin got into his fighting stance as he said that. _The man is as brilliant as he is crazy_, he thought to himself as Jean turned around and got into preparation, _he was able to stab into Xiao at will and avoid any vital organ so that he could bleed her dry and not break any rules. That requires intense knowledge of the human body and its vital points._

"You want to know what separates you and me?" Jean cracked his neck as he spoke, "You get the girls because you're just a pretty boy...I get the girls because I'm DEAD SEXY!"

Jean's rapier shot out and was blocked by Jin's armguard the instant he finished that sentence. Jin countered with a straight punch that was in turn blocked by Jean's left knee. Jean broke the deadlock with a right hook followed by a snapping kick from his lifted leg. Jin backed away and sidestepped Jean's impaling thrust and grabbed the Frenchman's arm and kicked him in the side in the head twice with his right leg, sending him to the ground when he brought his leg back down for the second hit. Jean rolled away as he hit the ground and got back onto his feet.

Jean avoided a left hook and kicked Jin in the hip. As Jin staggered from the hit, Jean punched him in the stomach and bashed him over the head with the hilt of his rapier. Jin gripped his head in pain as he returned to a full stance, narrowly dodging another kick and countering with a pair of backhanded swats to Jean's jaw followed by a left kick. Jean blocked the kick and nicked Jin in the arm with his rapier as the Japanese fighter recovered from the block. Another slash, and his rapier was blocked by Jin's armguard...but it was just a snare. With his opponent now open, Jean shot out his right leg and kicked Jin with a suffocating blow to neck.

Jin had been kicked by some of the best fighters in the world, and he had always considered Hwoarang to have the most powerful kicks he had faced. While he certainly had power, he didn't have the precision, or the potency, of how Jean had just hit him. If was as if as his throat had just been set on fire.

As Jin gasped for air, Jean's rapier shot out and stabbed Jin in his lower leg. With Jin's leg impaled, Jean let go of his rapier and hit Jin with a pair of punches to his face, then he kicked him off of his rapier. Jin let out a yell as the blade left his leg and a flash of blood in its wake. Jin shot out his left leg, and Jean grabbed it and hit him in the stomach with his knee.

"Hey Jin, what did Flambert say to the chest?" Jean taunted as he caught Jin's punch. "SLACKT!" Jean's rapier slashed Jin across his torso as Jin kicked Jean away. Jin gripped his chest in pain as he continued to bleed through his shirt.

"I won't let you die yet, Kazama," Jean said as he sent Jin sprawling to the ground with a spinning roundhouse kick, "Not until you pay me back for the humiliation I have had to suffer thanks to you tearing apart our labs in Tibet looking for your pathetic mother," Jean let out another flurry of kicks as Jin again stood up. Jin caught his leg and punched Jean in the jaw, then swept him off his feet with a low left kick. He lifted his leg high into the air, then brought it down with a powerful hammering motion, but Jean easily rolled away and smiled, "I want you to live so that you can watch me take away everything that is important to you…starting with little miss Xiaoyu."

A dark vision suddenly came upon Jin as his opponent said that. With his rather vivid imagination, he pictured the sky go completely black, Jean Sorel holding Ling Xiaoyu by the neck, whispering something incoherently. A tear streamed down Ling's cheek as her battered body struggled to break free. And then Jean took his free hand and ripped out her throat with it, licking the blood as he dropped her lifeless body.

Jin had just created himself his own little nightmare in the heat of battle...and it was enough to drive him over the edge.

And at that moment, all of Jin's pain vanished, washed away by a sudden rush of adrenaline. His breath grew erratic as he clenched his fist and spoke, "...slimeball…"

"SLIMEBALL? Is that the best insult you can come up with?" Jean let loose a cackle as Jin stood perfectly still.

"…I…won't let you…touch her." Jin began crackling with vermillion electricity as he got into his Power Stance.

"Oh yeah? TRY AND STOP ME!" Jean approached Jin and his rapier shot out in a forward thrust.

To Jean's surprise, Jin caught the blade with his hand, just inches away from his body. He twisted Jean's hand until he dropped his weapon, which Jin kicked away. Jin's body continued to crackle as he sent Jean sprawling to the ground with a thrusting kick. His forehead was now covered with black markings and a small red jewel sat in the middle of it.

Jean stood back up and was hit with a right hook to his stomach, then a left hook to his chest, and finally an uppercut that sent him in the air. Jin hit his airborne body with a left kick and a pair of Demon Hell Thrusts and sent Jean crashing to the grated wall. Before Jean could even hit the ground, he found himself pummeled with a series of punches and kicks. The final hit made Jean kneel in pain, and was hit with Jin's Wind Hook Fist as he tried to get out of the corner that he was in. Jean quickly punched Jin in the face, and followed up with a pair of knee thrusts. Unfortunately for him, Jin hit Jean in the face again with another Wind Hook Fist. Jean crumpled to the ground as Jin brought down an axe kick on his head. Jin backed away as Jean seemed to stop moving.

Ten seconds passed, and Jean was still down. Jin Kazama had won. The grated walls lowered as Jin walked towards Jean.

Jin picked Jean up by the collar as the French fighter regained consciousness. As he woke up, he found a pair of crimson eyes burning into him.

"MY MOTHER, SLIMEBALL! WHERE IS SHE?" Jin's voice was filled with violent intent, and it was loud enough for some of the people in the front row to hear.

"You know Kazama, you need to brush your teeth," Jean said mockingly as he fanned himself with his hand.

"WHERE?" Jin reared back his fist in preparation for a killing blow. Despite the rules that he himself put out about killing, he was in the throes of a berserker rage that clouded his good judgment.

"…she's here." Jean said with such calm that it made Jin drop him in surprise. The shock of hearing such an answer knocked him out of his berserker rage. Jean wiped the blood off his face as he continued. "She's been here right under your nose the whole time as a competitor." Jean stood back up and walked towards where his rapier lay, putting it back in its sheath as he picked it up. Jin remained silent as the black markings on his forehead faded, as did the red jewel.

"…so I don't suppose you could tell me where she is now?" Jin said in a voice much more calm as Jean walked past him. Jean stopped in his tracks and smiled coldly as he replied.

"You'll know soon enough."

As Jean left the ring, Jin suddenly began to feel woozy. The amount of blood he had lost throughout the fight would send any other man to his grave. While Jin was not exactly an "ordinary man," it was still more than enough for him to lose his footing. As he kneeled in pain and clutched his chest, Ling Xiaoyu and Eddy Gordo rushed into the ring and helped him up. The three slowly walked out of the ring and went to the ringside doctor…


	18. Heihachi vs Unknown: Fist for a Fist

I won't be here at all this Sunday. The band is going to the Bengals/Packers game (My two favorite teams: the Vikings and anyone who's playing the Packers. GO BENGALS!), and I won't be back until at least 8:00 PM. Please leave feedback so I can make this plot-thickening chapter even better!

And let me apologize for turning Unknown into a Q look-alike. If she was in her purple liquid latex, then everyone would know her true identity. To be honest, I think she came out rather cool-looking.

------------------------------------

"Ladies and gentlemen…" the announcer began as the lights of the stadium darkened. "He was the champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and the sponsor of the King of Iron Fists 1, 3, and 4. Using Mishima-ryu Karate, he's the man behind the fights, the King of Iron Fists himself!" Fireworks exploded over the dome as the spotlights turned to the elderly man at the end of the runway, "GIVE IT UP FOR…HEIHACHIEEEEEE MISHIMA!"

The crowd exploded in cheers as their old hero walked down the runway in his trademark navy blue-tinted black gi. He stepped into the ring, still covered with blood from the previous battle, and waved to the crowd. Then he crossed his arms and looked to the other side of the arena for his next opponent.

To his surprise, there was no overblown introduction from the announcer.

"And his opponent this evening…the mysterious fighter known only as…Unknown."

The mysterious fighter was dressed in a white trenchcoat with a dark purple tie and black undershirt. The hands were covered with a pair of purple gloves, and the feet were covered with formal black shoes. But even though her face was covered with a pair of sunglasses, and her hair covered with a white derby, the curves of her body on the trenchcoat revealed that she was obviously female.

But what really caught Heihachi was _how _his opponent came down the runway…it was as if she was _floating_ into the ring. Unknown gripped herself in an almost-sensual pose as she entered the ring. She slowly descended her feet on the ground as the gates went up.

_The air around her just went frozen, _Heihachi thought to himself as his masked opponent got into a fighting stance, _what a powerful aura!_ And then Heihachi noticed her fighting stance: it was one that he had seen before. _Kazama-ryu stance? _Heihachi looked back up at his opponent's face, which still seemed to remain emotionless. _Could it be…?_

Heihachi's unspoken question was quickly answered with a lunging elbow strike. The elder man sidestepped the attack and countered with a horizontal chop to his foe's hip. Even though the hit connected, Unknown managed to get a grip on Heihachi's arm and pull him towards her. Once the rest of his body was close enough, she tossed Heihachi over her shoulder and he landed a few yards away.

_A" vacuum throw," _Heihachi slowly got back up as he thought to himself. Unknown, to his good fortune, did not try to attack him as instead stayed in her fighting stance as he got up. _That's definitely part of the Kazama-ryu repertoire._ Heihachi resumed a fighting stance and warily advanced. _Well, I read Kazama-ryu like a book!_ Heihachi easily dodged a leg thrust and sent her rocketing into the sky with a powerful Demon Uppercut. Heihachi reared back to hit her with his Thunder Godfist as she came down…but she didn't come down in the way Heihachi had hoped.

She instead hit Heihachi with a diving kick as she was simultaneously mashed with the Thunder Godfist. Heihachi gripped his head in pain as Unknown crashed to the floor.

_That wasn't Kazama-ryu! _

Heihachi looked back up and saw Unknown running towards him. He was tackled and brought into a Vale Tudo mount as Unknown proceeded to punch his face repeatedly. Heihachi kicked her off after the third punch and quickly got back up. As soon as he got back into his fighting stance, he was hit was a blur of jabs before being sent skywards with an uppercut. Heihachi landed on his feet as Unknown returned to her Kazama-ryu stance.

_I see what's going on now,_ Heihachi parried a Phoenix Smasher and sent Unknown sprawling with a powerful thrust from his right palm, knocking off her hat and revealing short black hair that went down to her neck. _She can adapt any fighting style as her own just by watching someone use it. It's not a mixed martial artist: she can completely change her fighting style and method of attack at will! _Heihachi smiled as Unknown felt the top of her head for her hat. Heihachi waved it slightly and put it on his head. _This is the kind of opponent that I've been looking for: the kind that can make my blood boil, my pupils dilate, and my pulse race!_

Heihachi smile did not fade as Unknown again switched her method of attack, this time approaching him in a Flamingo stance. Heihachi grabbed her leg as it shot out and spun her around before letting go and sending her crashing into the grated walls. Unknown regained her footing and narrowly dodged a backhanded swat and returned the punch in earnest with a powerful punch to Heihach's stomach. Heihachi again landed on his feet and looked at his opponent's new stance: it was the same as his son Kazuya's stance.

_Hmph, so she thinks she can master Mishima-ryu just by looking at it,_ Heihachi kicked Unknown back into the grated walls as he narrowly avoided a Thunder Godfist. _It's time to show her just what it's all about!_ Heihachi cornered Unknown and blasted her with his Dragon's Breath maneuver repeatedly. He did it with such force that the grated walls behind Unkown had begun to dent. After the fourth Dragon's breath, Heihachi grabbed Unknown by the neck and tossed her across the ring. Unknown landed on her feet and managed to hit Heihachi with a flying Demon Slash kick. But when she landed, Heihachi wasn't there lying on the ground.

Unknown looked at the looming shadow that darkened her body, then slowly turned around to see Heihachi with his left arm raised, his body crackling with cerulean lightning.

"THERE IS NO ESCAPE! YOU'RE FINISHED!"

Heihachi brought down his lifted arm upon Unknown's person in his ultimate attack: the Demon Tile Splitter. Her shades shattered as she crumpled to the ground. Heihachi stomped on her head for good measure, then took two steps back. Ten seconds passed, and Unknown still had not regained her footing. Heihachi Mishima was the winner of one of the most intense fights of his illustrious career.

Heihachi looked down and noticed that his opponent's shades were no longer covering her face. _Now let's see who the woman is behind the warri-HUH? _Heihachi looked at his opponent's face and gasped. Here eyes glowed an eerie yellow color, and her lips were a blackish purple, but it was a face that he knew well. "So it _is _you."

The woman's face continued to remain emotionless as she dusted herself off and approached Heihachi. Heihachi took off his hat and gave it to her and said, "Here, a token of good faith." Unknown put her hat back on and bowed in respect as she left the ring. Heihachi simply nodded as he looked into the stands to where Kazuya Mishima was sitting. The seat was now empty and he was making his way down the stands and to the main level, trying to follow Unknown out the arena.

_Hmph…poor deluded fool…_

_---------------------------------_

"Damn it! NO!"

Kazuya had followed his quarry through the seemingly endless hallways within the Tokyo Dome. He had gone through locker rooms, supply rooms, and even some concession stands. But no matter how fast he ran, Unknown was even faster. Finally he had chased her into the parking lot, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn! Where did she go?" Kazuya Mishima looked around and still saw nothing but an almost endless forest of cars. He began looking through the lot, hoping to find some sign of his quarry. But the more he looked, the more his hope began to fade. Finally, he resigned to his failure.

"…Jun…"

"So…it _was _my mother."

Kazuya Mishima jolted around in surprise to someone answering his own mourn. He saw Jin Kazama, with his fists clenched.

"Get out of my way, Jin! I'm busy!"

"No! You're going to me everything!" Jin Kazama rushed towards Kazuya with such speed that even he could not react in time to the Wind Hook Fist that awaited his face. Kazuya Mishima was sent sprawling to the pavement. Before Kazuya Mishima could get back up, he found Jin's foot sitting on his neck. "If you want to live to see tomorrow, you're going to tell me the truth!"

…_he even sounds like me,_ Kazuya muttered under his breath. _I guess someone would have to tell him sooner or later. Besides, he'd be far more valuable as an ally. He still has the Zaibatsu after all._ "Very well…son," he said in a voice more audible, "I'll tell you what you want to know."


	19. Transfusion

I'm going to be changing the prologue of this story. With so many other plots going on, Ogre really wouldn't fit. Check out the first chapter(prologue) to see where this fic will be going. Also notice that I have now given a name to Kenichi's style of karate.

This is a major turning point in the story. Next time I'll be doing Doren vs Nina.  
It's been so long since I've written about that guy. See, writing about an original character can be hard when he uses a mix of styles NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN TEKKEN. That means you have to think up a sensible movelist that doesn't make him seem too broken(Krav Maga is one of the more effective martial arts out there.)

Anyway...enjoy.

Dr.Larne is copyright of Gwendy85.  
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"Mmmm…what an absolutely succulent scent."

The 20-year-old blonde man's nose sniffed the air as he followed the copper aroma throughout the lab. He was wearing a white lab coat, a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt with the design of the "Megaranger" cast: attire that truly hid the fact that he was a high-ranking official of the company that owned the lab he was in. After sifting through several scientists, he discovered the source of the scent: a beautiful Japanese woman on an operating table, hooked up to numerous machines, covered in blood. Judging from initial impressions, the blonde man guessed that she was mauled by a bear.

For reasons that only he knew, he took hold of her blood-stained kimono and twisted it until some of the blood began dripping from it. The blonde man put his mouth under the wad he was twisting, being sure to catch some of the drops in his mouth. Letting go of the cloth, he smacked his lips slightly as he examined the taste. "Can't be more than two hours old," he murmured.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain to his back as he was sent flying towards a group of scientists. "Who-who dares?" the blonde man quickly shoved the scientists aside and got into a fighting stance. When he looked in the direction of where he was struck, he saw a Japanese man in a dark purple knit shirt, and a pair of blue sports pants. Though the man was rugged, it was apparent that he was at least in his late thirties.

"If you EVER do that again Sorel, I will crush your spine as I would a candy cane," the elder Japanese man said as he went over to the woman on the operating table.

"I was merely examining the body," the blonde man said as he dusted himself off and approached the Japanese man, "so don't get your knickers in a twist, Mishima!" As soon as he said that, the Japanese man slowly let go of the woman's hand and got into a fighting stance. The blonde man did the same as the surrounding scientists backed away from the scene. Bloody combat was about to ensue.

"Kazuya, Jean, that's enough," an old man's voice broke the air of animosity between the two men. He was an elderly and bespectacled Caucasian man with gray hair and short stature. "Mr. Sorel, if you don't mind, Mr.Mishima and I need to perform a blood transfusion for our patient."

The blonde man smiled coldly and looked at his watch. "Very well, Head Scientist Larne. I shall take my leave for now," he said as he turned around and headed for the exit. "_Power Rangers _is going to be on shortly anyway…"

"That man is sick in every sense of the word," Kazuya muttered.

"Mr. Mishima, if we want to save what little life she has left, we must hurry," Dr. Larne led Kazuya to the empty operating table located right next to the woman's. "It's fortunate that you managed to rescue her AND get the blood samples from Ogre. The President will be most pleased," the scientist continued as Kazuya got onto the operating table and lay flat on his back.

"I don't know what's worse: the fact that it was Ogre who almost mangled her, or the fact that I can't do a damn thing to avenge her because that bastard Heihachi is looking for Ogre too and that would blow my cover," Kazuya grumbled as he rolled up his sleeves. While he loved the woman a great deal, his hatred for his father was even greater. Nothing, not even the woman he loved, would get in his way of the grand scheme he had to take down Heihachi.

"Your friend here has suffered massive blood loss, but it seems that her…unique psychic abilities are keeping her alive. But if we are to revive her…we'll need your Devil Gene,"

Dr.Larne prepared a tube for the blood transfusion and washed his hands a nearby sink.

"Hmph, you really think I didn't know that," Kazuya said as the doctor connected the tube to Jun's wrist.

"This will require a great deal of blood, you might feel disorientented," Dr. Larne said as he lightly cut Kazuya's wrist and put the other side of the tube into it. Disoriented was putting it lightly, Kazuya was beginning to feel as if he was getting pounded on by Heihachi all over again. But he did not lose consciousness as he muttered the name of the woman…

"…Jun…"

---------------------

"So instead of denying her of a chance to rest in peace, you chose to prolong her suffering…by turning her into one of us!" Jin clenched his fists as he spoke, "You are sick…"

"DON'T BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE ME, JIN!" Kazuya's voice boomed with such ferocity that even Jin jumped up in surprise. "Let's say you were in my position, would you do any different? Or better yet…" Kazuya's single crimson eye began to glow softly as his gaze met Jin's, "Let's say it wasn't your mother, and instead it was…that Chinese brat you love so well? How far would you go to save her?"

For this, Jin had no answer. He knew, deep down inside, he would do exactly as his father had done. If it had been Xiaoyu, Jin would do everything in his awesome power to save her. Even if it meant using inhumane means to do it.

"So why are you telling me this so openly…father?" Jin winced as that last word left his mouth. It sickened him to call a man as cold-hearted as Kazuya his father, but if he was going to get anywhere with this conversation, he would have to get used to the idea. "It seems just so unlike you to love _anyone_, especially considering how you left her to fend for herself as a single mother!"

"…even if I had a valid answer for the latter comment, I doubt you would believe a word of it," Kazuya crossed his arms as he spoke, "but the reason I'm telling you is because that Jun seems to have lost her memory. The disorientation of death still lingers, and all that remains in her right now is the desire to fight." He began pacing back and forth as he spoke, "I'm going to need all the help I can get to bring her mind back to 100...and I'm certain that the memory of her children will do just that."

"Children?" Jin raised an eyebrow as he heard that word.

"Hm?"

"You said child_ren. _Plural."

"…a mere slip of the tongue. Look nothing more into it," Kazuya said as he began walking towards the gate, "Now come, the tournament continues without us…"


	20. Doren vs Nina: Fair Play

Hey people!

Chapter 20 might take longer to make, as I won't be near my computer next weekend: the dorm is closing for Thanksgiving, and I'm being temporalily relocated for the Saturday game. Then on Sunday I'm heading home for Thanksgiving weekend.

This chapter has really helped me to get rid of any writer's block I'd have when I type my music paper today.

Anyway...enjoy!

-----------------------

"She has yet to miss a King of Iron Fist Tournament. She's been called 'Death by Degrees' and 'Silent Assassin.' Coming from Ireland, using Assassination arts, let's give a warm welcome to…NINA WILLIAMS!"

_I want to love you but I better not  
Touch (don't touch)  
I want to hold you but my senses  
Tell me to stop  
I want to kiss you but I want it too  
Much (too much)  
I want to taste you but your lips  
Are venomous poison…._

The elegant blonde assassin Nina Williams came down the runway with the lyrics of Alice Cooper signifying her arrival. She was wearing long black boots that went up to her knees, a lavender leather skirt, and purple jacket opened up ever-so-slightly to reveal her cleavage. The crowd's cheers were near deafening as she sultrily approached the ring. Her lovely face remained completely void of emotion as she walked. One fan in the stands tried to reach out to her as she walked by, and she shot the fan a look that was both threatening and inviting. The fan, deciding to play it safe, put his hand back and let Nina continue on her way.

Nina walked into the ring and closed her eyes in deep contemplation. She already knew who her next opponent was, and whenever she thought of him, she associated him with why people are supposed to be naturally violent. The way he so utterly humiliated her when they last met still burned fiercely in her mind. And the worst part of it: he was certified goody two-shoes. _Even if he is cute, I'll make him wish he had never been born, _she muttered to herself with a thin sadistic smile. _We Irish have a word for people like him: pansies._

"He's been known as 'the Calm Before the Storm,' and is a first lieutenant in the Israeli Hagana unit. He holds a black belt in Jujitsu and holds the rank of "Grandmaster" in Krav Maga. Coming all the way from Israel to compete in his first King of Iron Fist Tournament, using a fighting style of his own design….DOREN SHARON!"

_This is the world we live in_

_And these are the hands we're given._

_Use them and let's start trying_

_To make this a place worth living in…_

Doren Sharon waved to the crowd as he walked down the runway, occasionally stopping to sign a fan's autograph book. By the time he made it into the ring, the cheers had died down slightly due to the slight wearing of patience. That desirable body, those sports glasses, that jet-black hair, and that youthful face: this was no doubt the very same man who botched Nina's assassination attempt those three years ago.

"Pity…I was hoping that you'd have your face blown off in battle by now," Nina said out loud as Doren stepped in the ring.

"Heh heh…I suppose it's good to see you again too, Miss Williams," Doren lightly rubbed the back of his head when he said that. The two fighters slightly sidestepped across the ring, not breaking their gaze with the other. It was as if they were sizing each other up.

"I see you've been working out since our last fight, Ms. Williams," Doren nodded as he noticed the impressive muscle tone of Nina's arms, "this should be most interesting,"

"We'll see how long you think so," Nina broke the standstill and advanced towards Doren. The advance gradually became a run, and she dashed towards her opponent with violent intent.

Nina began the fight with a light kick, which Doren blocked with ease. Nina then shot out her hand and hit Doren in his arm with a horizontal chop. Doren backed away from the hit slightly, and was left open for a vertical kick to the stomach. _Ow…almost forgot about her utter disregard for fair play, _Doren thought as he gripped his stomach while narrowly dodging a roundhouse kick as he kneeled from the pain. _Well, I guess it's up to me show her once again that the best fighters play by the book!_ Doren head-butted Nina while was kneeling from the kick to the stomach and rose back up to his full stance.

Doren grabbed Nina's leg as she tried for another kick and twisted it. Nina screamed as she struggled to break loose and jumped in the air and kicked Doren in the ear with her other leg. Doren dropped Nina so that he could block the other kick, leaving himself open. _Now's my chance!_ Nina smiled as she shot out both her palms and sent Doren sprawling to the ground. As Doren was about to get back up, Nina stomped on his chest and grinded her heel. Doren screamed as he his arm flung horizontally and pounded Nina in her shins. She screamed with him as she gripped her leg, allowing Doren to roll away and get back up. _…she's obscenely strong now…_

Doren grabbed Nina's head with his left hand, then began pounding it with his left. After three punches, he pushed her head into his knee, then tossed her over his shoulder. Nina rolled away as she landed as wiped off a speck of blood from her lip. _So he's finally getting serious…_

More punches came along courtesy of Doren as Nina tried her best to block the oncoming flurry. As soon as the onslaught of fists stopped, she hit Doren with her knee and stabbed her fingers into his midsection, and with a swift motion, drew blood from his abdomen. Doren let out a scream of agony and quickly backed away. When Doren looked back, she wasn't in front of him, but it didn't take long to find her. Nina grabbed onto his ponytail and pulled tight. _Agh! What is she doing?_ Doren elbowed her in the stomach a few times, and Nina coughed up blood onto the back of his neck. Still Nina maintained her grip.

_OK…if she wants to play it like THAT, then I'll have no choice but to oblige! _Doren thought as he noticed that Nina's ponytail was hanging over his shoulder.

"You know, Ms. Williams, I admit that I do have ow fairly strokable hair," Doren said as he grabbed Nina's ponytail, "but you have some nice hair too."

The two fighters pulled on each other's hair as hard as they could, occasionally screaming out in pain. Neither fighter was willing to give in, until the bands that held their hair together snapped, and the two fighters lost their grip. They backed away from each rapidly as they gripped the back of their heads in pain. The crowd's cheers reached defeaning pitch as Nina and Doren brushed back their now-unbound hair and resumed their fighting stance. They were tired and wounded; they were running on adrenaline alone.

_It's time to end this, now! _Nina ran towards Doren with her hand raised in preparation for a finishing blow. Doren maintained his fighting stance as Nina brought down her hand down upon his neck in a fingers-first thrust, but was simultaneously hit with a powerful knee to her solar plexus. The blow knocked the wind out of her, and she drifted into unconsciousness and fell on Doren. Doren gently let her fall to the ground and took a few steps back. _Is that the end of it? Hope so, because I don't know how much more I can take!_

Ten seconds passed, and Nina was still down. _Whew!_ Doren let out a sigh of relief and gripped where Nina had scratched him when he delivered the final blow. If she had gotten any deeper, she would have probably hit his jugular vein, which would have definitely cost him the battle, if not his life. _Damn…I guess she really had it out for me!_

"See, that's as far as you go," Doren said out loud as he approached the fallen Nina, who was beginning to regain consciousness. "What do have to say for yourself?"

"I swear to God that I'll kill you one of these days…" Nina tried to stand up, but she screamed in pain and kneeled back down.

"Hey I wouldn't make any sudden movements. Your ribcage must be in shambles by now," Doren outstretched his hand and helped Nina up, who reluctantly accepted his help. Once she had regained her footing, Nina said out loud, "Pansies like you make me sick."

"See, _that's _the attitude that cost you the fight! It's no wonder you don't have a boyfriend…"

"You watch your back Sharon, because when you let your guard down, I'll be there to stab it," Nina said as she limped out of the ring.

"Well, I wish you a speedy recovery, Ms. Williams," Doren gave a salute as Nina left, "and maybe next time, you'll be helping_ me_ up!"

-----------

_She is your RIVAL. _

Kenichi just told himself that over and over as he changed into his gold-colored gi. There was no need for wearing his school uniform now: this would be a fight between Asuka's father's Kazama-ryu dojo and his mother's Namikawa-ryu dojo. Asuka Kazama vs Kenichi Masamune, in the quarterfinals of the King of Iron Fist Tournament: this would be the ultimate deciding factor in their rivalry. Finally, there would be a deciding win for one of them to hold over the loser. In all truth, this was another reason Kenichi entered the tournament, to finally defeat Asuka Kazama.

So why did the thought of him fighting her seem strange all of the sudden? Kenichi knew why: he had grown attracted to her.

When he began training with Asuka so that she could defeat Feng Wei, his mother warned him that if he kept spending time with her, he would gradually become closer to her. Kenichi didn't listen, of course, because he figured that if he spent more time with Asuka, he would eventually become more accustomed to her fighting style, and she would become accustomed to his. They would be equals, and when the time came, it would be a glorious battle.

But just as his mother predicted, he became close to her. Asuka was now a different person: she was less of the thick-headed teenage girl he had grown up with, and more of a dedicated martial artist: someone worthy of the fight that now lie before him. Kenichi had molded a whole new Asuka with his training…and that's when the horrible truth dawned upon him: he was growing to desire her.

_The fate that hasbeen bestowed upon me is too cruel..._ Kenichi thought to himself as he put his Masamune over his shoulder.

Kenichi was no fool: he knew full well that Asuka had feelings for him…but did he have feelings for her? Or was what he was feeling nothing more than idle lust?

Kenichi took a red bead rosary and wrapped it around his left hand. These prayer beads belonged to his grandfather, a devout Buddhist who went to his grave training with his daughter and grandson. _Grandpa…please give me the strength to go through with this fight…_Kenichi closed his eyes in deep meditation: lust was a normal feeling, but acting upon it would be dishonorable, especially when the idol of lust happened to be his rival. The most important lesson his father had told him was this: honor is truth. If you die with honor, you die a good death, but if you live with honor, you have lived an even greater life.

"Hey kid," Kenichi opened his eyes as Eddy Gordo came into the locker room and spoke, "Jin told me to tell you that you're up next. It's time to head down to the ring."

"OK, thank you very much," Kenichi got up and bowed as he put his school uniform in a locker and began to head for the door that led to the runway. A clean fight with his rival: a martial artist could not possibly ask for more. Whatever feelings he had for Asuka, he would have to disregard them for now. _Hope you're as psyched as I am, Asuka…because I'm ready to kick some ass!_


	21. Kenichi vs Asuka: Love is a Battlefield

"She is the niece of former King of Iron Fist 2 competitor Jun Kazama, and is competing in her second King of Iron Fist tournament. Coming from Japan, using Kazama-ryu Jujitsu…Asuka Kazama!"

_Sound of the drums  
Beatin' in my heart  
The thunder of guns  
Tore me apart  
You've been - thunderstruck_

Asuka came down the runway to the powerful lyrics of AC/DC. She was wearing a sapphire sleeveless jacket that was left unzipped, a pair of blue jeans, a navy blue sports bra, and blue fingerless gloves. Many of her friends from Osaka had attended the tournament to watch her fight, and it made her feel at peace. She stepped into the ring with a smile on her face and waved to the crowd.

"And her opponent this evening: a fighter who comes from a distinguished family of martial artists, and fellow schoolmate of Ms. Kazama. Competing in his first King of Iron Fist Tournament, using Namikama-ryu karate, please welcome…Kenichi Masamune!"

_Lend me my life to you  
This is the way I pray…  
Living just isn't hard enough  
Burn me alive inside  
Living my life's not hard enough.  
Take everything away…_

The teenage martial artist walked down the runway to the lyrics of "Prayer" with a face that showed very little emotion. He was wearing a gold karate gi that showed his long-sleeved black undershirt that went down to his knuckles, a blue karate belt, wooden sandals, and his red rosary wrapped around his left hand. On the back of his gi was a design of a mountain: the logo on his mother's dojo. As he approached the ring, he tossed the wooden sheath across his back to the nearby Eddy Gordo and said "take good care of this," before stepping into the ring. Upon reaching the center, he straightened himself out and bowed to his opponent as the grated walls surrounded the ring..

_After all these months, it's finally come down to this,_ Asuka thought as she returned Kenichi's bow and assumed a fighting stance. _He wanted to see me stronger, and now here we are in the Quarterfinals in the King of Iron Fist tournament. Maybe after the fight…we can… finally…_

Asuka shook her head as the thought went through her mind. _Get a grip on yourself, girl! There's a fight that needs to happen, and he's going to hold nothing back!_

_She is much stronger than she was earlier, I can tell just by her stance,_ Kenichi thought as he got into his own fighting stance. _I think she's finally returned to her old self: the girl who always gives me that bout that makes me go for greater heights..._

At that moment, Kenichi felt a warm sensation over his entire body. He wasn't sure what it was, but it gave him peace and made him feel at ease.

"Asuka," he said out loud, "let's be sure to give this crowd a good show!"

"Right," Asuka shouted with a smile, "let's go wild!"

There was no hatred or malice in their eyes as Kenichi prepared to defend against the attacking Asuka: only the joy of facing a worthy opponent.

Kenichi caught Asuka's punch with his hand and counterattacked with one of his own. Asuka backed away from the blow, but Kenichi pulled her back in by grabbing her arm and tossing her to the ground with a Judo throw. Her body hit the ground with a loud thud and the crowd roared its approval. "Come on Asuka," Kenichi shouted as he brought his fist down on her fallen body, "don't hold back!"

Asuka caught the fist as it came down and pulled Kenichi down on the ground with her. Her grip moved up Kenichi's arm, and it gradually became an armlock. Kenichi gritted his teeth in pain as his muscles began to strain from the hold. The young fighter reached with his free arm and grabbed Asuka's leg and gave it a twist causing his female counterpart to cry in pain and release her hold on him.

The two teenagers rolled away and scrambled onto their feet before engaging each other yet again. Kenichi jumped over Asuka's foot sweep and hit her with a leaping vertical chop to her head. She instinctively ducked back down to lessen and possibly avoid the blow, and it nicked her as Kenichi landed back down to the floor, and rose back up with a backflip. Kenichi was sent skyward from the blow and was hit with Asuka's elbow as he came down, hitting the ground with a thud.

Kenichi rose back up and rubbed where Asuka had hit him. _She's doing well so far, but something doesn't seem right._ He sidestepped a low kick and struck Asuka in the side of the neck with a horizontal chop. _She's not putting the same passion into her blows as she normally would…_Kenichi pummeled Asuka with a flurry of seven left-handed punches before sending her sprawling with a left roundhouse kick. _And I think I know why…_

"Asuka," he shouted as Asuka slowly got back up, "Why do you hold back?"

"What are you talking about?" Asuka wiped the blood off her mouth as she spoke.

"Remember what I told you: don't hold back your feelings or let them get the best of you. Use them to make you stronger. This applies not only to hatred and rage, but all feelings. This includes ambition, competitiveness, righteousness…" Kenichi lowered his head slightly as his cheeks began to redden, "…even love. Do you understand?"

_…so he knows._ Asuka's heart skipped a beat once Kenichi finished. _And the way he said it…I've never heard him talk like this EVER. Not at school, not during our fights…not even when was training with me… _A smile crept upon her lips as she resumed her fighting stance. _Well, don't worry Kenichi…now that I know how you feel, I can fight without any more doubts!_ "I understand just fine, Kenichi!"

"Excellent!" Kenichi got into a horse stance once he was certain Asuka was ready. "Then let's do it! IKUZE!"

Asuka ran towards Kenichi with renewed vigor and rammed her shoulder into him, sending the boy sprawling backwards. Kenichi landed on his hands and flipped onto his feet as Asuka began running towards him again. Kenichi tried to sidestep from the second shoulder tackle, but Asuka was running faster than he could think. He again went flying backwards, this time landing flat on his back.

Kenichi scrambled onto his feet and ducked under Asuka's high kick to sweep her off her feet with a low kick. Asuka quickly rolled away and scrambled onto her feet when her male counterpart tried to bring his fist down. _Now's my chance!_ Asuka grabbed Kenichi's arm and tossed him over her shoulder with a vacuum throw. Kenichi landed on his feet and began to charge at Asuka, but she sent him skyward with an open-palmed uppercut. As he came down, Kenichi was pummeled with a backhanded swat, a pair of open palmed blows, and a back-flip kick that sent him spinning in mid-air.

The boy quickly got to his feet and shook his head. _…she did it. There is no way I can beat her now._ He looked back up and saw Asuka spinning towards him. He knew full well what was coming, and there was little he could do to stop it. He was simply too tired and too hurt to make a comeback. _Here it comes…_

Asuka's spinning roundhouse kick came into full contact with Kenichi, and he was sent spiraling into the air and crashing into the wall. As he heard the announcer start the count and began to lose consciousness, a single word past through his mind_…glorious…_

"…and 10! Asuka Kazama advances to the semifinals!"

The crowd roared its approval as the grated walls lowered back into their slits. With the walls no longer supporting him, the unconscious Kenichi slumped backward and his head hung over the edge of the ring. Asuka ran over to his fallen body and gently pulled him back into the ring. _Did I overdo it?_

Asuka's unspoken question was answered as she heard a light groan and she backed away to give her fallen rival some room. Kenichi's eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness, and upon regaining his senses, got back onto his feet. He walked over to Asuka and outstretched his hand, and the two gave each other a light embrace.

"It was a good fight," Asuka whispered in his ear.

"And an even greater defeat," he responded.

The two fighters gave each other a pat on the back and they parted from the embrace. Asuka was about to walk away, but then she saw Kenichi get down on one knee and bow his head. "Is something wrong, Kenichi?"

"Asuka," he said in a voice that seemed very calm, "you fought magnificently, and as such I have been defeated."

"Hey Kenichi, don't take it too-"

"You have grown much since we began training together, and have matured into a powerful fighter…and a good person," Kenichi lifted his head and met Asuka's gaze as his heart rate began to pick up speed, "I am proud to be called 'your rival.'"

_I must have hit him in the head too much,_ she thought to herself jokingly. Kenichi had always kept his feelings to himself, and sometimes he could come off as chillingly cold. But the way how he was slowly opening up to her just now…

"Asuka," Kenichi lowered his head again as he spoke, "I was wondering if…you want to…do something together…sometime…" His cheeks began to redden to such an extent that they seemed to glow.

_Kenichi…_

Asuka heart skipped a beat when she heard Kenichi finish that sentence. It seemed like she was dreaming, because Kenichi had never opened up to her this much. But there was something about him…that made her feel attracted to him.

"If you don't want to…then please forgive me for wasting your time." Kenichi bowed his head even lower. He didn't want to sound like a lovesick little boy, but he had to confirm if what he was feeling simple lust…or something far greater. The fact that Asuka was very beautiful did nothing to help his moral plight either.

"Kenichi…"

"Y-yes, Asuka?"

Asuka got down on her knees and lightly kissed Kenichi on the cheek and said, "I'll consider it."

"Thank you…Asuka…" Kenichi bowed his head again and stood back up.

"All remaining fighters, please go to the center of the ring." The loudspeaker blared as Jin Kazama walked into the ring with the other remaining contestants following him.

"Hey listen Kenichi I have to g-"

"I won't keep you Asuka. I wish you luck in the upcoming battles."

"…sayanora Kenichi!" Asuka said with a smile as she began walking away to the group of fighters.

Kenichi remained silent as he walked out of the ring. As he left, Eddy tossed him his sheath and said, "Good fight out there kid," as he entered the ring. Kenichi bowed and headed to the locker room, lightly rubbing where Asuka had kissed him. _She's not just my rival anymore…now she's my angel…my angel of the fight…_

---------------------------  
"He's perfect," Yoshimitsu muttered as he watched Kenichi from his front row seat. He was clad in dark blue armor from head to toe with a golden horn jutting out from just above where his eyes were and an azure fin jutting out from the back of his head, and his face was covered with a Hannya mask, which in turn was veiled by a purple visor. He had watched the fight with his close friend Ganryu, and had managed to listen to what the two teenagers had said as they fought.

Kenichi's comprehension of the martial arts was remarkable. The speech he gave Asuka was something he would expect from someone with more experience in life, like someone of Lei's or Paul's age. But the boy was only eighteen, so he was still a very young man and willing to learn. Not only was he skilled, but he was also wise.

And then there was his honor.

He held nothing back in his fight with Asuka, but at the same time he would occasionally assist her so that he wouldn't have any unfair mental advantages. Upon listening to what he said after the fight, it erased any shadow of a doubt that this boy was very much the honor-bound warrior as his samurai ancestor so long ago.

"Oh, pardon me, Bruce," Ganryu squeezed by the African-American Muay Thai fighter as he returned to his seat with a large bucket of popcorn and a gallon-sized soda. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black pants, and a purple cap with the word "Tekken" on it. He sat down next to Yoshimitsu. "The lines to the concessions are so much shorter when almost everyone has left. And since we're competitors, it's free! Life is good," Ganryu mused as he shoved a fistful of popcorn into his face. "Have I missed Jin's post-round speech?"

"No, don't worry Ganryu, you haven't missed anything like that," Yoshimitsu reassured his sumo-wrestling friend. "I was just thinking about the boy."

"Yes, that boy has plenty of soul!" Ganryu agreed with his mouth still full of popcorn, "With a little more meat, he'd be great for the art of Su-"

"His father was Takeshi Masamune. Do you remember him, Ganryu?"

"Of course I do! He was Kazuya's personal assistant back when he was the head of the Zaibatsu, and an expert blade-wielder. Everywhere Kazuya went, Takeshi went with him. He was just like him: cold, uncaring, quiet," Ganryu swallowed the wad in his mouth to talk to his friend before taking a sip of his soda. "Looking back on it, the boy does look very much like him: so cold."

"Don't judge by initial impressions, Ganryu. My audio filters in my suit managed to record their conversation, including the one you missed when you were getting us some more snacks," Yoshimitsu pulled a cord out of his shoulder to reveal an earbud. Ganryu put it in his ear and Yoshimitsu's visor lifted up when he took a popcorn kernel and placed it in the small slit in the hannya mash where his mouth was. After a few minutes, Ganryu nodded his head in agreement. "What a fascinating boy. You know, I happened to meet his mother, Miki Nawikawa, twenty years ago when she volunteered at a sumo expo. Perhaps if I dropped by their house, I can tell them that you would like to train him."

"I would appreciate that very much Ganryu, but I think this is something that Kenichi must decide on himself. But if you feel that it would help, then I will not stop you." Yoshimitsu bowed his head slightly in his thanks and turned his gaze back to the arena. _Even though the boy is pure of heart and could easily take my place in the Manjitou, I cannot force myself upon him…the decision will ultimately be his…_


	22. Scars

So I was at the comic book store on Saturday, and saw that Morlun was now OFFICIALLY back in Spider-man. I thought Morlun was pretty cool back when he first showed up in 2001, so I read the latest issue of his return(right now it's part 6 of a 12-part series)...the mofo GOUGED SPIDEY'S LEFT EYE OUT! O.

While I doubt that Spidey is going to be like Sagat for the rest of his career, I can't help but wonder what's going to happen now. I guess I'll wait for the graphic novel. Damn, more shit I have to buy!

Anyway, kudos to my sister Yuugi-chan for beta-ing this.

--------------------------

As soon as Doren and Heihachi finished signing the autographs of the fans who were patient enough to wait until the crowds have cleared, the two fighters went into the ring where Kazuya, Jin, and Asuka had gathered. There were some people in the stands who wanted to stay and hear Jin's post-round speech, most of them being competitors who had already been eliminated.

"Fellow martial artists, welcome to the semifinals of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6," Jin Kazama began with his arms outstretched and a microphone tucked within his shirt. "Each and every one of you has fought valiantly, for different reasons." He began pacing back and forth, "Some of you may have fought for justice," his eyes met Asuka's gaze he spoke, "some for the sake of pushing your limits," and then he looked at Doren. "Some of you may have fought to become stronger." Jin's voice showed a hint of disdain as he looked at his grandfather Heihachi. "And some of you…may have fought for reasons…that might be considered less than honorable." The contempt in Jin's voice became unmistakable as his gaze met Kazuya's.

"But regardless of your reasons, you were willing to fight for what you believed in. Through bravery, skill, and discipline, each of you passed your respective battles and for that…I applaud you. Bravo!" Jin Kazama started clapping his hands together as the small crowd that remained in the Tokyo Dome did the same. Regardless of how much he disliked his father and grandfather, he still felt a slight bit of admiration of how willing they were to go the distance for their ideals. Besides, he had a reputation to maintain as the head of the Zaibatsu, because the criticism he had garnered from the board members due to his young age was less than savory.

After waiting for the applause to die down, Jin continued his post-round speech.

"However, we are now left with an unusual situation. We now have five competitors left in the tournament, because I competed as a normal competitor. As such, one of us will be granted a bye. Eddy, Xiao, please bring in the machine."

Jin's two bodyguards and close friends, each dressed in tuxedos, pushed a clear cylinder machine that was sitting atop a tall platform up the ramp of the ring.

"It…looks a little bit like a lottery machine," Doren said as he tilted his glasses slightly in observation.

"Very perceptive, Lt. Sharon, because that's exactly what it is," Jin Kazama nodded to the Israeli soldier as Eddy handed each of the fighters a ping-pong ball. Once he did that, Ling gave the fighters a black marker.

"Just as a lottery reveals numbers via these balls, so this will reveal who will get the bye. Each of the balls is the same size, mass, diameter, volume: there are no tricks. Please put your initials on them with the markers that are handed to you."

"This is so ridiculous…but it's your tournament, so I guess I have no choice," Kazuya grumbled as he wrote down some katakana on his ball.

"Humph! Can't you be a team player without making a fuss just once?" Heihachi said mockingly as he too wrote his initials down.

"Hey, you two! Stop ruining the experience for the rest of us," Asuka snapped as she opened up the tip of her marker and jotted down her initials.

"Hey Jin, I hope you don't mind if I put my initials in Hebrew," Doren handed his ball to Jin as he finished writing on it. Heihachi and Kazuya were the next ones to finish, and they tossed their balls to Jin. As soon as Asuka finished hers, she walked over to her cousin and gave him her ball. Then Eddy collected the ping pong balls from the five fighters as Ling opened up the top of the cylinder. Once she unscrewed the top, Eddy dropped the balls into the cylinder.

"While my two assistants warm up the machine, I'll tell you how this will work," Jin gathered the black markers from the fighters as he spoke. "The bye will go to the one whose name is on the ball that comes out of the lottery machine. The winner will face the victor of the first match of the semifinals, and will fight immediately after the second fight. Of course, the winner of the first fight won't be getting too much rest, but that's an unfortunate side effect of having five semi-finalists rather than four. For example, if Asuka won the bye, and Heihachi and Kazuya were the first to fight, she would fight the winner of that fight right after my fight with Lieutenant Sharon."

Asuka nudged Doren slightly and whispered into his ear once he leaned down, "That's assuming there's anything left of the ring after Heihachi and Kazuya are finished with it." The Israeli soldier snickered as he straightened himself.

"Hey Jin! We're ready!" Xiaoyu exclaimed as the machine whirred to life. The balls began to ricochet inside the clear cylinder as she said that. After a few seconds, a single ping-pong ball popped out of the cylinder and landed in a cup that was beside it. Eddy picked the ball out from the cup, and showed the ball to the other competitors: it belonged to Jin Kazama.

"Huh…well there you have it. Looks like the bye belongs to me," Jin said as he raised an eyebrow. "And now we get to decide who fights who tomorrow. Let's see whose ball will come out next." As if on cue, the next ball fell out of the cylinder and into the cup. Jin went over to the machine and looked at the ball. "Asuka will fight first against…" he paused as he waited for the next ball. Once it came down, he completed his sentence, "Asuka Kazama will fight first against Lt. Sharon. And by process of elimination, that means that Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima will be fighting in the second round." _And maybe with a little luck,_ Jin thought to himself as he said that, _they can disable each other long enough for me to look for my mother on my own. The last thing I need is Kazuya's twisted methods getting in my way._

There was numerous whispering within the stadium as they heard Jin finish saying the pairings. Everyone who had watched previous King of Iron Fist Tournaments knew of the bad blood between Heihachi and Kazuya: this was a match they were expecting for the finals.

_Look at how smug he is, _Kazuya thought to himself as he noticed Heihachi smile, _that bastard has humiliated me and foiled my plans not once, but three times. But this time…_Kazuya clenched his fist and smiled coldly as the thought of victory crossed his mind, _this time I shall crush him once and for all!_

_Look at the malice in his eyes, _Heihachi thought as he watched Kazuya clench his fist, _that idiot son of mine still hasn't learned that he cannot defeat me without clearing his mind of such thoughts. I guess it'll once again be up to me to put that pathetic wretch in his place…so much for facing a worthy opponent…_

"Well I guess that's all for tonight. The five of us will meet back here at 6:00 PM tomorrow night, and the fights will start at 7:00 PM." Jin Kazama turned away from the fighters to look at the crowd that remained. "I look forward to seeing all of you back here to enjoy the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6!"

---------------------------

40 minutes later…

Mishima Mansion…

"Hey Jin, that was an incredible speech!" Xiaoyu said as hung up her coat on a coat hangar near the front door. The traffic was fairly light, so what was normally an hour-drive became a 40-minute drive.

"Thank you Xiao, I appreciate that," Jin nodded as he went into the kitchen to prepare some tea. He had a long brutal fight only an hour and a half earlier, and hot tea seemed like a godsend to him at the moment.

"That was some nice stuff there Jin," Eddy shouted from the guest room as he came back from pulling up the car in the garage. "But do you think there will be anything left of the ring after Heihachi and Kazuya are done with it?"

But Jin didn't reply with any words: all Eddy and Xiao heard was a metallic clang.

"Hey Jin, are you OK?" Xiaoyu stood up and entered the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, she let out a scream. Eddy leapt off the couch he was sitting on and ran into the kitchen to find what was wrong: Jin Kazama's chest wound had re-opened from the warmth of the teapot, and he was kneeling on the floor clutching his chest.

"D…dammit," Jin hissed as he clutched his chest, "even when he's not here, that Sorel bastard continues to cut at me!"

"Eddy, help him to the couch while I get ready to stitch the wound closed!" Xiaoyu said as she turned on the hot water of the nearby faucet to sterilize her hands.

"Hey Xiao, shouldn't we get a doctor?" Eddy said as he put Jin's arm over his shoulder.

"There's no time! By the time they'll get here, his scar might become infected! We have to treat this now!" Ling put on some rubber gloves that were in a box near the faucet and opened the above cupboard to reveal a first aid kit.

"Hey Xiaoyu, I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but do you know what you're doing?" Eddy said as he placed Jin down on the couch in the living room.

"Don't worry, my Grandpa taught me how to do this a long time ago! It's also pretty basic stuff if you want to go to med school," Ling came into the living room with a first aid kit in her right hand, and a bottle of peroxide in her left. She sat down next to Jin and began to unbutton his knit shirt. Her heart began to beat faster as it became fully unbuttoned, but she maintained her focus and took out a cotton swab from the first aid kit and poured a few drops of peroxide in it. Regardless of how desirable he was right now, she had to save him first.

"Jin, this may sting a bit, but we have to clean the scar before we begin," she said as she began to wipe the cotton swab on Jin's chest. The Japanese fighter took a sharp breath as the swab touched his scar. It did sting, but it was certainly better than getting a serious infection.

"OK Jin, we're ready to begin…" Ling said as she took out a packaged needle and unwrapped it. Then she took out the roll of suture and connected it to the needle.

"Xiao…" Jin whispered as Ling prepared to stitch his wound, "…thank you very much."

"It's nothing at all Jin. You saved me when that Jean guy was about to finish me off, I'm just returning the favor," Ling smiled warmly as she began to stitch Jin's scar. As the needle touched him, it didn't hurt at all. In all honesty, it actually felt warm. Simply being around Xiaoyu made him feel…at peace…

_2 hours later…_

"She's so kind. I truly don't think that there is a sonar in existence that can sound out the depth of her compassion," Jin said to Eddy as Xiaoyu left to throw away the needle. She had just finished stitching together Jin's scar: now he could be ready for the next day's battle.

"Jin…why don't you tell her?"

"Hm?" Jin raised an eyebrow as Eddy asked the question.

"She loves you, and she loves you a LOT. Believe me, she's told me, and I can tell that you don't feel too different." Eddy got up from the couch he was sitting at and walked over to Jin.

"…because I care for her too much," Jin answered, lying his head down on the pillow that was underneath his head, "you know firsthand what my enemies can do. While I doubt Heihachi would do anything to harm her, I wouldn't put it past my father Kazuya as a means of blackmailing me. And then there's Jean Sorel…" Jin closed his eyes as he spoke of the loathsome Frenchman, "the kind of man who would willingly and sadistically torture those who are close to me just to see me squirm. I knew, from the minute he attacked Xiao, that I was staring into the face of madness. When I was fighting him, he mentioned how he would take away everything and everyone I held dear…starting with Xiao."

"Huh, I bet he was just blowing off hot air. You kicked his ass from here to Peru. I don't think he's going to be bothering you anytime soon."

"Jean Sorel was one of the most lethal foes I have ever fought: he could've beaten me," Jin shuddered slightly when he said that. "It's sad how someone so strong can be so…twisted…just like my father…"

Eddy simply shook his head and said, "It's the way it usually works Jin: some fighters get so drunk by their own strength they start to become cruel and selfish in order to prove that they're superior. Did you at least find out what you wanted to find out?"

"Yes…I did. But I think that's something for another night. Right now I'm a little tired." Jin yawned as he stretched his arms on the couch.

"OK Jin. I'm going to go to the hotel and see if Christie made it there okay. I'll see you tomorrow morning, but in the meantime...get some rest."


	23. Masterminds

Finals start in two days…so I'm going to squeeze in one last chapter before I hit the books again. At last, one of the biggest enigmas of the T6 newcomers is revealed: how did Jean become what he is today? Why does he hate Kazuya so much?

Kudos go to Yuugi-chan for betaing

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_Four hours after the Quarterfinals…_

"Yes! I've finally found it," Jean exclaimed as he bookmarked the page he was reading. The book in his hand was over 400 years old, and it had finally arrived from his parents' library in France to his house on the outskirts of Tokyo a mere week ago. The book contained numerous supernatural logs and journals that were written when his illustrious ancestor, Raphael Sorel, was affected by a case of vampirism when he was cut with the demonic sword Soul Edge.

After getting trounced by Jin Kazama in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, Jean immersed himself in the ancient book, hoping to find some way turn his hated enemy's Devil Gene against him. G-Corporation had already deciphered the Devil Gene's genetic code through science: but Jean knew that in order to unlock its true power, one would have to look at it through a supernatural standpoint, as well.

Sure enough, he found what he was looking for. One of the entries mentioned a trip to Japan, and the account of finding a humanoid purple oni with leathery wings that could possess seemingly normal people and use the victim's body to take physical form. Upon looking at the illustration of the creature, Jean's hopes began to soar: it was the very same creature that Kazuya transformed into during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. Next to the creature was an incantation spell in old Japanese: the journal entry noted that this was a way to summon the dark influence within someone affected by the purple oni in order to decide whether or not the person was possessed.

Not only did had he found a very early recording of the Devil Gene, Jean had even found a way to trigger that destructive power at will! If Jin Kazama got in his way again, Jean could simply recite the spell and Jin would transform into his Devil form: it would tear his sanity apart from the inside out, and he would once again become what he hated most: a whirlwind of destruction and hate.

_But that wouldn't be very sporting at all, _Jean pondered as he put the book down and went into the bathroom, _I already know what Jin is capable of with his Devil Gene…but what if we saw what would happen if I used it on his precious mother?_

Jun Kazama indeed had the Devil Gene, but he wasn't chosen to wield it like Kazuya or born with it like Jin: it was _handed_ to her when Kazuya tried to revive her those seven years ago. From what Jean could tell when he watched her compete under the name "Unknown," the current Jun was little more than a doll: emotionless and barely capable of independent thought. All that remained within her was the desire to fight. The end result of triggering Jun's Devil Gene certainly wouldn't be anything like Kazuya or Jin: the entity might even be able to create a manifestation of itself outside of Jun's physical self due to it not being part of Jun's original genetic structure.

_If I can trigger the Devil Gene within her, and pit her against Kazuya…_

Jean let loose a maniacal cackle as he took his clothes off and entered the shower. This would be the ultimate vengeance against Kazuya: his dear Jun, the same woman who he forsook in order to pursue his vengeance against his father Heihachi; the same woman who he saved from Ogre's clutches seven years ago; the same woman who he was trying to save from Jean's clutches…the same woman would tear him apart. Jean's ultimate vengeance would be realized. And once Kazuya was too tired to do anything about it, Jean would destroy the last ounce of goodness that damnable Mishima had by slitting Jun's throat and having her bleed to death in front of him. He would paint the town red…with her blood.

_The succulent copper scent of her blood…I get goosebumps just thinking about it! I remember my first blood like it was yesterday…except it didn't come from a beautiful woman, but some boorish lout._

Drawing blood from his opponent had been an essential part of Jean's life since he was a small child. His first victim came on a school playground when he was 5 when he punched a school bully in the nose for attacking one of his female classmates. Although Jean was too young to realize it then, the thrill of watching someone's vital fluids drain from them became a fascinating sight to behold. A year later, his father called him into the living room one day and asked if he wanted to learn how to fight. Jean didn't know what his father was talking about, so he said yes. His father smiled and turned on the TV to show the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2.

The blood, the violence, and the beautiful art of how it was done: Jean knew, right then and there, that he wanted to become a martial artist.

In the years that followed, Jean worked meticulously to sharpen his mind and body. His mother asked a professional kickboxer named Jacque to teach him the art of Savate, and his father personally taught him the specialized art of fencing unique to the Sorel clan: La Rapiere des Sorel. Once he had mastered both arts, he began mixing and matching them to create his own style of combat. At age 10, he entered his first tournament, the Junior Kickboxing Championships, and won…but it was a pyrrhic victory.

When Jean fought, a kickboxing match was no longer a mere sport: it was a survival test. The young boy fought like a demon, crushing and pummeling all oncomers and sending many of his opponents to the hospital. The parents of his opponents were in an uproar, demanding that Jean be placed in a mental institution. The Sorels were able to save Jean from that fate, but he would be banned from the Junior Championships for life.

But that wasn't what drove him over the edge.

When he got home that day from the tournament, there lay a sight that he would never, _ever_ forget: his dear elder sister Claudia, lying dead on the floor bleeding her life away, and her fiancée Jacque writhing on the floor in pain a few feet away. Jean ran over to his fallen sister, shaking her and telling her to wake up. Upon realizing that she was truly gone, something dark awakened in his heart as he sobbed bitterly.

As it turned out, an ex-boyfriend of Claudia's had managed to get into their mansion, and when he got in, he broke Jacque's legs and then raped Claudia in front of him. Once he did that, he took one of the many rapiers in the living room and stabbed her to death with it before leaving. When he overheard the police telling his father about it and heard Jacque give the description of the killer, Jean devoted himself to madness.

Claudia was like an angel to him, and Jacque a surrogate brother: he would avenge their honor, but if he wanted to do it…he would have to become cruel.

_Just as Kazuya devoted himself to evil to take revenge on his father, so I devoted myself to darkness to avenge my sister, _Jean reminisced as he turned off the shower and put a towel around his body, _in the end, I guess I'm no different from him…_

Sure enough, Jean found the man six years later, sitting in a front row seat during his Gold medal Olympic Fencing match. Once he had noticed the man, he leapt down from the winner's podium and broke his back, then dragged him outside and began draining him of his blood with his rapier. Jean had studied the human body and knew of every vital spot, so it was an easy matter of figuring out where his sister's murderer would hemorrhage the most. When Jean was done, the man was now a dried corpse, completely devoid of his vital fluids.

When he told his father and mother that he had finally avenged Claudia's death, they weren't as thrilled as he would have hoped they would be. They told him that the bloodlust that had been a part of him was not due to the need to fight or the need to take vengeance: it was from a madness that was common in his family tree. His own father had experienced it shortly before Jean was born, and it almost drove him into suicide. If Jean didn't focus his madness into more positive outlets outside of fighting, he would eventually destroy himself. Fortunately, Mr. Sorel knew just the thing to do.

_And so dear old Dad had me take his place at G-Corporation as the vice president once I reached 18 and graduated from high school just so I could learn how to be a "productive member of society",_ Jean muttered to no one in particular as he put on a black kimono and tied his hair back, _"Hey son, I've got just the thing to fix you up good: I'm going to send you away to a far-off land away from your friends and family!" Sometimes I wonder who's really the crazy one in the family._

Upon entering G-Corporation, he met Kazuya Mishima, a man who he instantly admired and looked up to. Kazuya was much like him: tempered by combat, and devoted to darkness. Jean tried to get close to him, and hoped to become his friend, but Kazuya always kept his distance. Over time, Jean's admiration became resentment, and the two became enemies.

Although Jean was a productive leader, his short temper and sadistic tendencies made many of the board members feel uncomfortable. For six years, Jean became ever more cruel, letting his hatred for Kazuya fester and slowly eat away at his psyche.

And then he met Jane.

When Jane first arrived at G-Corporation 3 years ago, Jean took an immediate liking to her. She was beautiful, kind-hearted, and trustworthy: much like his late elder sister, Claudia. Jane had showed Jean of a life outside of the endless pit of darkness that was his heart, and he slowly began opening up to her. His devotion to madness ended the very day he met her: now his devotions were strictly for her.

_And THAT is why I shall break Kazuya_, Jean mused as he went into the kitchen and poured himself some tea,_ I must make this world safe for my precious Jane!_

At the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, Jane's Jack-4 models attempted to assassinate Kazuya Mishima and failed. Jean took the blame but reassured the President that Jane's Jack-5 model would not fail…and it did. The ridicule Jean received was enormous, but that wasn't what bothered him the most. Kazuya knew who created the Jacks, and he would one day find Jane and exact his revenge on her…just as Claudia's ex exacted his revenge on her.

_Jane, wait just a little longer,_ Jean thought to himself as he picked up a picture of the woman he loved that was hanging from the cupboard, _very soon now you shall be safe again…and Kazuya will wish he never crossed paths with Jean Sorel!_

-----------------

_Meanwhile at the Tokyo Airport…_

"What powerful young fighters," Dragunov said to himself as he watched the replay of Kenichi and Asuka's fight on the TV at the gate. The Russian government was sending him a small group of soldiers to help apprehend Asuka Kazama in the event that she makes a fuss. Dragunov hoped that it wouldn't come to that and that she would come with them without a struggle, but he knew in his heart that it wouldn't be so easy.

"I love the King of Iron Fist," his corporal said as he came back from the bathroom and sat down next to his commanding officer, "the greatest martial artists on the planet, going toe-to-toe to decide who is the strongest: it is truly a sight to behold."

"Indeed it is, corporal. When I first entered the tournament, I thought it was a trifle waste of time. I'm glad to see how wrong I was, because it is a thrill like no other. If you worked hard enough on your ROSS style, you might be able to compete someday."

"Thank you sir," the corporal nodded as he continued watching the fight video.

"Corporal," Dragunov said as he turned to his aide, "we had front row seats, did you manage to catch the girl's conversation with that boy?"

"Hm? Yes, sir, I managed to catch most of it," the corporal said as he looked to his comrade, "Truly heart-warming stuff. Why do you ask…if I'm not overstepping my boundaries?"

"…what sort of a heartless monster am I?" Dragunov said in a very quiet tone.

"Sir?"

"The thought crossed my mind that if we used the boy, we could persuade the girl to come with us without a fuss," Dragunov bowed his head slightly in shame. "To stoop so low as to use a young woman's affections against her…"

"Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted, corporal."

"We aren't doing this because we are heartless monsters: we are doing this because we are under orders to bring her in. Was it not you who taught me that I cannot put personal feelings ahead of direct orders from a commanding officer?" the corporal's voice had a serious tone that surprised even Dragunov.

"…you are absolutely right, Corporal. This was part of the deal when I accepted this mission. If I have to drive a wedge between a young couple in order to attain it…then so be it. Sergei Dragunov has never backed down before, and I have no intention of starting now!"

"Sir, normally stuff like this wouldn't bother you," the corporal leaned down so that he could see Dragunov's face, "is something on your mind?"

"…I was thinking about Lt. Sharon, and what he said about mercy and how through seeing death on the battlefield, he learned the meaning of life," Dragunov lifted his head back up and looked at the Corporal, "it seems strange to me how someone who was born in one of the most unstable regions in the world could have such a profound understanding of such things."

"It almost sounds as if you see him as a rival of sorts."

"Hmph…I suppose..."

_Now arriving, Gate 17, non-stop from Moscow. Welcome to Tokyo._

"Ah, it appears that our reinforcements have arrived," Dragunov said as he and his aide stood up from their spots and headed to the gate, "Come, corporal. Let us greet our comrades who will aid us in our mission…"


	24. Cycle of Hatred

So what's with all of the "it's too bad Hwoarang lost" stuff I'm getting? The man's a loser now. He was really cool at the beginning of T4 then he gets his ass thrown in jail and had to get bailed out by his master. Not cool. It's no wonder Heihachi beat him: not just because Hei is a two-time final boss and is a thousand times cooler, but Hwoarang just doesn't have the mindset of a warrior.

---------------------

Heihachi Mishima left the elevator and entered the lobby of the hotel as he finished off box of cereal he was holding. He had just had breakfast with two of the remaining competitors, Doren Sharon and Asuka Kazama, as well as one of the newcomers, Kenichi Masamune. He was certainly glad that he did, because he didn't realize how much this new crop of fighters realized the importance of the martial arts.

Asuka and Kenichi had been rivals for the longest time, always trying to get an edge over the other. Their rivalry wasn't limited to the martial arts, but in school, athletics, and even when helping break up fights in their neighborhood. But when tragedy had touched both of their lives, they realized how much they had in common, and offered to help the other. Heihachi was amused by this, because he had often said that one does not truly know someone unless they have fought them in battle. These two teenagers had fought one another since they began elementary school, and only when faced with adversity did they discover the feelings they had for each other.

Heihachi was particularly impressed by Doren Sharon. The first lieutenant was a lone Israeli soldier. He walked with joy his body and his heart, but few would know of the years of his past. The years of blood where saw his fellow man killed: the years of blood where he killed his own fellow human beings. The killing had almost destroyed him, but he chose a path of peace and to become different. Hatred only begets more hatred, and Doren chose to end that cycle of malice. By seeing death, he learned the value of life.

When Heihachi heard the man's story, he let out a hearty laugh. The man's father had died protecting the Japanese man when he visited Tel Aviv during his World Peace Crusade a year after the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. He had actually met Doren previously when the Israeli was a small boy mourning at his father's funeral. And his first words to him were not words of comfort: Heihachi had slapped the boy in the face that day and said, "Get a grip on yourself, boy! Your father fought so that others may live. If you want to honor him, get up off your ass and do the same!"

The sheer coincidence of the situation was certainly quite humorous.

_"Through strength, learn gentleness, and through gentleness, strength will prevail,"_ Heihachi recited in his mind as he entered the weight room of the hotel. _Only a year ago, I would disregard such talk as utter rubbish. Now that I've focused my mind, I'm finally beginning to understand what these kids are talking about…_

This way of thinking would certainly be put to the test later that day: Heihachi Mishima was scheduled to fight his ungrateful wretch of a son: Kazuya Mishima. This would be their fifth battle.

When son Kazuya first usurped the Mishima Zaibatsu from him at the conclusion of the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, the calm temperament of Heihachi's mind became overridden with vengeance and hate. He tore his way through the competitors at the King of Iron Fist 2 and fought his son Kazuya. Upon realizing that Kazuya was too consumed by darkness to rule the Zaibatsu, Heihachi took his son's fallen body and tossed it into the mouth of a volcano. Once he had done that, Heihachi organized the "Tekken-shu ", the Zaibatsu's private corps, and dispatched them to settle disputes and bring wasteland under cultivation to feed the poor countries of the world, in order to gain the support of leaders worldwide.

_For a while, I actually enjoyed myself,_ Heihachi reminisced as he picked up a pair of barbells and began his session,_…watching the sparkle in people's eyes when I gave them food, shelter…but old habits die hard: I could not let go of my ambition…_

Fifteen years after Heihachi won the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, his Tekken-shu were excavating a Central American archeological site when they discovered a mysterious life form. Heihachi later discovered that it was the God of Fighting, the creature called Ogre. Upon realizing just how much more powerful he would be if he captured the demon, Heihachi's dream of world domination came rushing back to him.

Shortly after Ogre was discovered, Heihachi learned that he had a grandson, Jin Kazama, who had come to him at the will of his mother, Jun Kazama, who supposedly died at the hands of Ogre. Heihachi knew Jun from the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2: she had tried to save Kazuya's soul, and though she managed to unlock the minutest hint of humanity, she ultimately failed. Though she didn't have the soul of a fighter, her spirit was one of the strongest Heihachi had ever known. He reasoned that Ogre was looking for strong souls to consume, so in order to draw it out; Heihachi would make preparations train Jin in Mishima-ryu and use him to lure Ogre.

On Jin's 19th birthday, Heihachi started the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Warriors old and new gathered to fight in the tournament, many of them with a score to settle with Ogre. However, it wasn't long before Jin began showing resemblances of the Devil power. Heihachi noticed this, and decided that after Ogre was dispatched, he would have to slay his grandson to prevent another Devil from infecting the world.

_The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 helped me re-acquaint myself with the martial arts,_ Heihachi thought as he put down the barbells and went to a nearby stair machine to begin the next part of his exercise, _but it also re-awakened the demons in my heart…demons which held me back from my true potential._

As Jin finally slew Ogre, Heihachi shot his grandson in the head with a pistol. The Mishima's cursed destiny had come to an end…or so he thought. As Heihachi turned around, Jin rose back up and struck down Heihachi, sprouting black wings and taking flight. Heihachi had just unleashed another Devil upon the world.

_If I had just left things as they were, Jin's Devil Gene might not have been unlocked and he would have lived a normal life…and I wouldn't have gotten my ass handed to me by him last year,_ Heihachi muttered to himself as he got on the stair machine and began his exercise, _it's funny how the best-laid plans seem to always blow up in my face…_

But it wasn't a complete loss.

During the tournament, Heihachi managed to collect tissue samples from Ogre to experiment with. But he couldn't do anything with them unless he had a key ingredient: the Devil Gene. Being that Jin was Kazuya's son, he would have some trace of that gene. As he began his search for his grandson, Heihachi found something even more intriguing.

A year after Jin's disappearance, Heihachi discovered that Kazuya's body was being held by G-Corporation, and he began taking steps to obtain his son's corpse and his Devil Gene. But when Heihachi's Tekken-shu raided G-Corporation's lab in Nebraska in hopes of finding Kazuya's remains…they were thwarted by Kazuya Mishima himself.

_After his resurrection, Kazuya offered his body as research material to determine the true nature of the Devil that resided within him. Kazuya's goal was to unify his two selves into one. Kazuya theorized that if he unified his body with the Devil, he would be able to truly harness its powers. He could then finally take revenge against me. Pshaw! Real warriors don't make underhanded deals like that: they forge their way relying on their fists…and their soul! But then again, I myself had forgotten that when I opened the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4…the tournament where I suffered my worst defeat yet…_

In order to lure Kazuya, and possibly Jin, out in the open, Heihachi held the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 a year after he discovered Kazuya's existence and put his Zaibatsu on the line. Heihachi and Kazuya fought in the finals, and Heihachi emerged victorious. After defeating him, Heihachi felt that his son should have one last look at his grandson, who was captured earlier in the tournament. When the two fighters reached Honmaru where Jin had chained to the ceiling, however, Kazuya revealed his true intentions: to strip Jin of his Devil power so that he could add to his.

That's when the truth dawned upon Heihachi: their ambitions had grown so great that they were no longer afraid to exploit their own kin. They had completely forgotten what it meant to be a martial artist…

After Jin beat Kazuya into unconsciousness and defeated Heihachi by transforming in a devil once more, the two losers were attacked by the Jack-4 robots. And at that moment…Heihachi and Kazuya were faced with a common enemy: G-Corporation. Even though Kazuya betrayed Heihachi so that he could retreat from Honmaru, Heihachi had to admit that they worked well together.

_G-Corporation is far too powerful an enemy to fight alone,_ Heihachi thought as he got off the machine and went to the bench to sit down, _if the Zaibatsu is to survive, then the Mishimas must stop their blood feud and band together! The cycle of hatred and corruption will not end until someone makes a stand…and that someone is me! As the man who began the cycle, so I shall be the one to end it!_

Heihachi looked out the window as his resolve strengthened, _the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and G-Corporation is my enemy, thus that lowlife son of mine is an ally. I shall have to beat this fact into Kazuya tonight, and end this silly feud of ours once and for all!_

_­_


	25. Doren vs Asuka: Learning Curve

My first chapter of the winter break...and probably the last one until I get back to Marshall U. Hope you guys enjoy it!

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The semifinals of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6: the fourth day of the tournament would mark the first time that there would be three matches in a day rather than two. Out of the forty competitors, only five were left. Perhaps what was most interesting was that four of those competitors were all related in some way.

"She is the niece of former King of Iron Fist 2 competitor Jun Kazama, and is competing in her second King of Iron Fist tournament. Coming from Japan, at 18 years of age, using Kazama-ryu Jujitsu…Asuka Kazama!"

The familiar guitar riffs of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" boomed throughout the Tokyo Dome as Asuka ran down the runway in her yellow-and-white school uniform, a plaid blue skirt, and her sapphire fingerless gloves. A bright smile highlighted her face as she gave high-fives to the fans as she approached the ring. She had done something that no one else had done: she had become the youngest semifinalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament history. The upcoming battle would be the ultimate test of her abilities in self-defense: her opponent used a style that was much like hers, and she was itching to try her skills against his.

"And her opponent this evening: He's been known as 'the Calm Before the Storm,' and is a first lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Force. He holds a black belt in Jujitsu and holds the rank of "Grandmaster" in Krav Maga. Coming all the way from Israel to compete in his first King of Iron Fist Tournament, at 28 years of age, using a fighting style of his own design….DOREN SHARON!"

Genesis' "Land of Confusion" blared on the loudspeakers as Doren Sharon came down the runway. He was wearing an olive military garb, black army boots, and a red beret with the Israeli flag on it. He smiled happily as he signed a fan's autograph book on the way to the ring: Doren was living out his dream. Ever since he first watched the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, he had fantasized about participating in one. Twenty-two years later, he was competing in the semifinals. He had the pleasure of eating breakfast with one of his childhood heroes, Heihachi Mishima, and the thought of facing him in the finals flashed through his mind.

_But I shouldn't get ahead of myself, _he thought as he entered the ring, _in a tournament that includes bears, kangaroos, genetically enhanced raptors, robots, and the occasional living training dummy, anything can happen._ Doren looked up and saw Asuka cracking her knuckles, _it's remarkable how advanced she is. I was nowhere near her level when I was her age. Truly, I admire her…_

"Hey Doren," Asuka shouted as she tightened her gloves, "Steven Seagal called: he wants his ponytail back!"

"Heh…like I haven't heard that one before," Doren replied as he put his left hand on his right shoulder and began rolling his arm, "you know Asuka, we're the only two remaining competitors who are not directly related to a Mishima. It kind of makes me feel left out. How about you?"

"Well, I still have a cousin who's competing, but you want to really feel left out? Try considering the fact that you're the only non-Japanese person left in the tournament."

"…yep, that did the trick. Now I really feel out of place," Doren looked to his feet and shook his head before getting into a fighting stance, "Well, let's get to it! We'll begin whenever you're ready."

Asuka got into a fighting stance and prepared to strike…but she paused and remained in a defensive position. She knew, from the second Doren assumed his stance, that he was a martial arts master. There didn't seem to be any sort of opening that would allow her to land a good strike that wouldn't be punishable. The two fighters began sidestepping slowly making a circle around the ring, sizing up the other fighter. _We won't be getting anywhere like this, _Asuka shouted in her mind, _the only way I can find an opening is to make one with a forced attack and strike when he leaves himself open!_

Breaking free from the standstill, Asuka charged at Doren at a full run in an attempt for a shoulder tackle. The Israeli soldier managed to sidestep the charge and propel Asuka into the grated wall with a kick to the back. As she came to the wall, Asuka put out her hands and pushed herself back just as she hit the wall, propelling her elbow strike and taking Doren by surprise and sending him screeching on the floor.

_Whoa! _Doren rolled back onto his feet and rubbed where Asuka had hit him, _she completely turned my setup into a counterattack! Not bad for a kid!_

Doren grabbed Asuka's fist as she threw a punch and sent her sprawling with a powerful somersault kick that drew applause from the crowd. Landing on her feet, Asuka ducked back down and shot out her arm in a swiping motion, knocking Doren's footing off and causing him to trip and land flat on his buttocks. The Israeli soldier rolled away as his foe came down with a cartwheel kick, and kicked her in the shins with a swiping kick as he got back onto his feet.

Doren sidestepped another punch and countered with a powerful knee in the stomach and brought his fists down in a hammer upon Asuka's back. _And he'll follow up with a hook punch…NOW!_ Asuka thought as she ducked Doren's haymaker.

With her opponent left open, Asuka let loose a powerful leg sweep, her Sacred Blade Kick, and sent Doren spinning to the ground.

_Remarkable! Once she has a window, she can utterly devastate her opponent, _Doren thought as landed on his feet and looked up at Asuka, _and that includes me! I'm going to have to stop relying on my eyes, because she's just too fast. Time to go back to the basics: relying on my natural reflexes._

"If I knew it was going to be _this _kind of battle," Doren said out loud as took off his glasses and put them in his chest pocket, "I'd have done this from the beginning!"

"Huh? What are you doing?" Asuka tilted her head slightly as she asked that question.

"I'm getting ready to show you what reading your opponent is all about! Come on and give me all you got!"

"OK, here we go!"

Asuka began spinning towards Doren, the forthcoming of her most powerful attack: the Spinning Heel Drop. If Doren didn't time his dodge correctly, he would be in for a great deal of pain.

Unfortunately for Asuka, he did.

Doren ducked under Asuka's kick at the last second and sent her spinning uncontrollably with a powerful left hook just as her foot whiffed over him, her body landing with a loud thud. _What in the-? He moved even faster than my Spinning Heel Drop! How did he do that? _Asuka pondered as she rolled away from Doren's incoming fist to the floor.

Asuka got back up and ran towards Doren with renewed vigor and tackled Doren onto the ground. _There! Now to lay down the pain! _Asuka got hold of Doren's arm and put him in an armlock and began to pull. A successful armlock would result in slight hyperextension of the opponent's arm, doing significant damage and temporarily hindering their fighting capabilities.

Unfortunately for Asuka, Doren positioned his grabbed arm to be able to take hold of Asuka's leg. He gave it a twist, and Asuka gritted her teeth in pain until she let go of Doren's arm and dismounted him. The two fighters quickly scrambled back onto their feet, rubbing where they had been held.

"I'm not doing so good…aren't I?" Asuka said between breaths. "Toying" wouldn't be the word Asuka was looking for: "schooling" was more appropriate to describe what Doren was doing.

"NONSENSE! You're doing very well," Doren enthusiastically reassured, "you're certainly not like any kid on my block, that's for sure!"

"What was that? DON'T CALL ME A KID!"

Obviously peeved, Asuka began to run towards Doren…something that would prove to be her downfall.

Before Asuka could even lift her leg from the ground for a kick, Doren sent her skyward with a pair of uppercuts that were let loose simultaneously. With his opponent still in the air, Doren juggled Asuka around with a left hook, a powerful uppercut, a backhanded swat, and finally a roundhouse kick that sent Asuka spinning to the ground.

_Damn, I so asked for that,_ Asuka thought as she heard the announcer begin the countdown from where she was laying. She hadn't sustained any serious injuries, but if she learned anything from getting defeated by Feng Wei the previous year, it was learning when to throw in the towel. S_o much for becoming the youngest finalist in tournament history… _

Ten counts passed, and Doren was declared the winner. The fight lasted fairly quick, and it was apparent to anyone how Doren's experience and calm demeanor played a factor in the battle. To the spectator's point of view, it seemed like less of a battle and more like a training session.

"Not bad at all, Asuka. A couple of more years, and you'll have to tournament in the bag," Doren said as he outstretched his arm and helped up the defeated teenager, "the next time you're in Tel Aviv, be sure to stop by at the base and show some of my students a thing or two,"

"You were playing me for a fool the whole time, weren't you?"

"Hm?"

"You just use those glasses to throw your opponents off guard. All this time I thought you needed them…"

"Um, I hate to break this to you kiddo…but I was fighting you legally blind," Doren said as he took out his glasses from his chest pocket and handed them to Asuka, "See for yourself."

Asuka put the glasses on and instantly became disoriented. These were definitely prescription glasses. "So why did you-"

"I was trying to teach you something about self-defense: sometimes you won't be able to clearly see your enemy, so you'll have to rely on your other senses to properly defend yourself."

"You're starting to sound like my dad," Asuka said as she handed to glasses back to Doren and the two fighters began walking out of the ring. As Doren was handed a water bottle by one of the ring girls, Asuka noticed Kenichi sitting a front row seat. Doren watched as Asuka waved at him, and Kenichi responded with a simple nod.

"Tell me, Asuka, does that friend of yours ever smile outside of when he's fighting?" Doren said as he tossed Asuka a water bottle and the two fighters took a seat a nearby bench. "And what's the deal with that sword he carries around and doesn't even bother using?"

"Oh that," Asuka's voice gained a more serious tone, "he carries that around as a good luck charm."

"So it's simply for aesthetic factor?"

"Sorta. He entered the tournament to find out the truth about his dad's death. They made the sword together, so I think...I'm trying to remember Kenichi's exact words," Asuka rubbed her chin for a bit before snapping her fingers, " 'what my father did betrayed what he taught me, and until I figure out why he did it, I can't mourn for him. This sword not only serves as a charm, but as a symbol to how I'm still my father's son, despite how much I want to deny that.'"

"That's…pretty morbid, and definitely not something an 18-year-old boy should say," Doren rubbed the back of his head lightly, "Sounds like what he's basically suffering from is a moral dilemma."

"Exactly. In any case, he did find out why: Kenichi father used to work for my uncle Kazuya. The only reason he had any criminal ties was because of his loyalty towards his ex-employer. So now that he's finally found out the truth…he's finally starting to show emotion again," Asuka smiled lightly as she paused in her speaking.

"Sounds like you two are pretty close," Doren replied as he watched Asuka blush slightly, "He must be a lucky boy to have someone like you on his side."

"Hey buddy, are you implying something here?" Asuka's face turned beet red as she shouted at Doren. All Doren could do as the lights dimmed for the next battle was throw his arms up in the air and say: "What? ME? NO!"


	26. Heihachi vs Kazuya: Devil Denied

Twenty-two years ago, Heihachi reclaimed the Mishima Zaibatsu by defeating Kazuya in the final match of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and then tossed his fallen son's body into a volcano.

Fourteen months ago, Kazuya returned from the dead to try and get his revenge on Heihachi, but fell to his father's might in the final match of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4.

Twelve months ago, Heihachi defeated his son once again in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, denying Kazuya the chance of seeing his grandfather Jinpachi.

_But today, all of that will change, _Kazuya thought as he straightened his tie while he waited for his audio cue at the runway._ Today,_ _I shall finally weed out the root of all of my problems! Today, I shall carve my name into his damn hide and repay him for every scar and burn that he has given me! _Kazuya had experienced death once before, and it was a terrifying experience that gave even him the chills. Giving Heihachi even a fraction of the pain and fear Kazuya had felt would be satisfactory. _Yes, killing him then reviving him afterwards would be a most suitable retribution indeed: I want him to remember the anguish…_

"He's been known as 'the Cold-Blooded Prince' and 'the Devil made Flesh,' and was the champion of the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament, the sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and a finalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. Coming in at 50 years of age, using Mishima-ryu Karate….KAZUYA MISHIMA!"

_Wait another minute_

_Can't you see what this pain_

_Has f---ing done to me_

_I'm alive_

_And still kicking_

_What you see I can't see_

_And maybe_

_You'll think before you speak_

_I'm aliiiive…_

Kazuya walked down the runway to some of the angriest music known to man and a mix of cheers and boos wearing his trademark scowl. He wasn't exactly pleased with the predictions of his upcoming battle when he read the paper in the morning: the polls said Kazuya had a 3 in 1 chance of winning. Not that he cared about what other people thought: it was the premise that he even had the minutest chance of losing that bothered him.

_Meh...they'll get theirs soon enough, _Kazuya thought to himself as he stepped into the ring. _I can always buy the newspaper company and fire the poll staff when I get the Zaibatsu back._

Once he had stepped into the center of the ring, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes while lightly tapping his foot to the music. He had made a specific request to have his song run the full-length, and Kazuya would not take "no" for an answer.

Suddenly, the music stopped right on a C note during a guitar riff, and the lights began to dim. _What the-? Do those fools who work here have a death wish? I specifically told them to-_

Another guitar riff on C…followed by a B flat, then another C…C, B-flat, C…C, B-flat, A-flat…

_Oh great…it had to be that infernal song…_

"He was the sponsor of the inaugural King of Iron Fist Tournament, the champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, the sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, the champion AND sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, and a finalist in the King

of Iron Fist Tournament 5," Fireworks began to go off inside the arena as the announcer continued, "Coming from Japan at 76 years of age, using Mishima-ryu Karate, he's the man behind the fights, the original King of Iron Fists!" Lightning began to crackle across the body of the man at the end of the runway. "GIVE UP FOR….HEIHACHIIIIIIII MISHIMA!"

_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight  
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival  
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night  
And he's watchin' us all in the eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye _

_Of the tiger…_

The crowd exploded into cheers as Heihachi Mishima came down shirtless wearing purple hakama pants, dark blue gauntlets, and a pair of sandals. His body continued to crackle with electricity as he strode down the runway. Earlier that day, he had asked the people in the music booth what Kazuya requested for his introductory song, so Heihachi asked for a song that would mix well with Kazuya's. Besides, Heihachi thought it would be amusing to see Kazuya's face once he heard his song suddenly fused into another one.

As Heihachi stepped into the ring, he smirked as he caught glimpse of his son's scowl. No doubt about it; Kazuya definitely was not pleased.

"Why must you constantly give me more and more reasons to kill you?" Kazuya grumbled as he shook his head in disgust and the grated walls elevated out of the ground. "Well, it matters little. There is no where left for you to run or hide."

"Obstreperous fool, I have no reason to run," Heihachi replied as he crossed his arms, "You enter the ring with the same intention that you've had since I started this tournament: take your revenge and take the Zaibatsu," the elder man smiled as he continued speaking; "Only the fool backs his fists with anger and hatred. The master backs his fists with spirit and purpose. I had forgotten this proverb when you defeated me the first time, but I still defeated you three times over. Do you honestly think you stand a chance against me now that I have focused myself? Your rage is nothing new to me, Kazuya. To be blunt, it's getting a little tedious."

"Don't act so tough. I'm going to wring every last drop of blood out of your sorry carcass," Kazuya's eyes narrowed as he uncrossed his arms and assumed his fighting stance.

"Hmph," Heihachi said as he assumed his own fighting stance and watched Kazuya begin to advance, "we'll just have to see about that, now won't we?"

Heihachi ducked under Kazuya's backhanded punch and punished him for it with a powerful Demon Uppercut that sent his son high in the air. With Kazuya still airborne, Heihachi hit him with a backhanded swat followed by his open-palmed Demon's Breath. Kazuya spun uncontrollably as he landed on the floor with a thud.

_What the hell? He's faster than I anticipated,_ Kazuya thoughts betrayed his expression as he stood up and dusted himself off, _well, that'll make destroying him that much more invigorating._

Kazuya charged again and tried to hit Heihachi with a spinning backfist once again and Heihachi ducked as he did the last punch, but this time Kazuya was ready. Spinning around once again, he lowered his body and smacked Heihachi in the jaw with a low backhanded punch. With his enemy stunned, Kazuya spun around for a final time, sending Heihachi sprawling with a roundhouse kick.

_New tricks, _Heihachi said as he landed on his hands and flipped back up, _but no new mindsets. Pity…I would've actually been impressed with that maneuver if it were anyone else._

"Oh come on, Kazuya," Heihachi taunted as he crossed his arms, "Even Lee hits harder than _that, _and if I'm not mistaken, he came pretty close to beating you in the second round!"

Kazuya's scowl remained on his face as he shot out his right hand in a powerful straight punch, but Heihachi caught the punch and pulled Kazuya into him. Flipping his son's body so that he was standing on his head, Heihachi jumped high into the air with him and came crashing into the ground with Kazuya's head hitting the pavement as Heihachi's ki crackled across his body: the trademark of his infamous Power Bomb.

Kazuya rolled away and rubbed his head as he got back up. He had lost to Heihachi before, but he had never seen him dominate a fight as completely as he was doing now. Kazuya growled as he clenched his fists and ran towards Heihachi and sent the old man flying with a leaping jump kick and ran after his body with such speed that he had reached him before he hit the ground.

Grabbing Heihachi in mid-air, Kazuya slammed his father's body on the ground and stomped on his back. Heihachi grunted as he rolled over and caught his son's foot and tipped him over. "I haven't held you like this since you were born," Heihachi said as he held Kazuya by his foot with his son dangling upside-down. The elder man then tossed his son in the air and sent him spinning uncontrollably to the ground with a spinning roundhouse kick.

Kazuya landed on his feet and shook his head from the dizziness he was feeling. _How…DARE HE? _Kazuya's mind was no longer calm: it was a disorganized jumble of hatred, disgust, and rage. _I AM KAZUYA MISHIMA, HE IS BUT SCUM! HOW DARE HE THINK THAT HE CAN DEFEAT ME AGAIN? _His body began to crackle with purple static electricity and his red eye glowed fiercely as he clenched his fists. _I shall not stand for it! _

_Now this is where I must show no mercy, _Heihachi thought as he saw Kazuya continue to crackle with his devilish ki, _this is where I must show him the futility of relying of powers that do not come from within! _

"MISHIMA HEIHACHI," Kazuya boomed as he clenched his fist and went high into the air with a Thunder Godfist, taking Heihachi along with him, "UMAE KOROSO!" And with that, he grabbed Heihachi's body and they both went plummeting down to the floor.

Kazuya's grip on Heihachi did not loosen as both fighters stood back up simultaneously. Heihachi looked at Kazuya and saw him smirk: that same smirk that made most other men piss themselves. _He's up to something, _Heihachi thought as he gripped Kazuya's arm; _let's see what he's got up his purple sleeve..._

As if to give answer to that unspoken comment, Kazuya's purple ki bgean crackling across Heihachi's body. Kazuya was using the static properties of his ki to turn himself into a living tazer. Heihachi gritted his teeth in pain as he was hit with enough electricity to power a city block.

"Every ounce of my ki is being used right now to fry your brain," Kazuya said coldly as released his hold on Heihachi and watched him crackle with power that was not his own, "there's no chance for you now…you're already dead!"

_That's what he thinks, _Heihachi thought as he endured the pain of the electrocution. If Kazuya was indeed using all of his ki, then he was vulnerable to attack. Ignoring the pain, Heihachi stood back up and closed his eyes. A lapse in concentration would result in electrocution. _Focus…_Heihachi thought as he got into a horse stance and began to shoot sparks of his own ki.

"W-what? Impossible," Kazuya exclaimed. Heihachi was just a man: it shouldn't have been possible for a man to endure that power. But there he was: crackling with not only his own cerulean ki, but Kazuya's devilish purple ki as well.

Heihachi used his own electric properties of his ki to turn himself into a human dynamo.

"Nothing is impossible, boy," Heihachi smirked as took a step forward, "You just have to train hard enough!"

Mad as a hornet, Kazuya tossed aside his doubts and shot his fist out at his father. Heihachi caught the punch with his hand and began to squeeze Kazuya's hand. Now all of the excess power that was flowing through Heihachi was unleashed upon Kazuya's body. Every nerve of Kazuya's body was racked with pain as he was bombarded with immense power. The voltage that Kazuya had used to try and win the match was now being returned in spades.

"And that, Kazuya, is called 'a taste of your own medicine,'" Heihachi said as he let go of Kazuya's hand and got into his Raijin stance. Now free of the effects of Kazuya's attempted electrocution, Heihachi's body crackled with his natural cerulean lighting. "So have some of this to wash it down!"

Heihachi's fist sent Kazuya spiraling away and crashing into the gates with such force that they bent from the impact. The walls became alive with lightning as Kazuya's electrified body hit it. If Kazuya had not been grounded with the rubber soles of his shoes, he would've certainly been electrocuted.

Kazuya groggily stood back up and got into a fighting stance, fighting back unconsciousness that was threatening to overcome him. He would not go down like this: humiliated for a fourth consecutive time. Letting out a primal yell, Kazuya ran towards Heihachi with inhuman rage. As if expecting such a maneuver, Heihachi grabbed Kazuya's neck just as his son was close enough and brought him into a headlock. He then raised his free hand and struck Kazuya in the temple. "ONE!" Then he repeated the process again… "TWO!"…and did it once more, letting go of his son and sending him screeching to the ground…"THREE STRIKES, YOU'RE OUT!"

Kazuya didn't get back up.

Heihachi looked at his son and listened as the ringside judge began the countdown. Kazuya had come into the ring believing that his mastery of the Devil Gene made him superior, but in truth, Heihachi was the master.

"AND 10! HEIHACHI MISHIMA ADVANCES!"

Heihachi let out a loud laugh as he pumped his fist in the air, then brought it down in a chopping motion. Perhaps he laughed because he knew that he had completely conquered the Devil power, or maybe it was because he had become high off of the massive amounts of electricity that had been flowing through his head. But one thing was for certain: Heihachi had not forgotten the whole point of the match; he had wanted to recruit Kazuya.

"N…no…DAMN IT!" Kazuya punched the ground with such force that it cracked. "How could I have lost?"

"You lost because you relied on your Devil Gene," Heihachi said as he walked over to Kazuya, "in doing so, you sealed your fate. You have forgotten important steps of being a warrior, and as such I gave you, as Mr. Phoenix would say, 'a royal ass-whooping.'"

"Spare me your pathetic lectures, old man," Kazuya grumbled as he tried to get up, but had to settle with standing on his knees. The electricity was still running through his body: it would take a little while for Kazuya to regain his senses."

"Hmph! This is coming from the man who I have defeated four times over. But I did not come here to judge you." Heihachi looked down at his son as he spoke. Kazuya raised an eyebrow as he listened to his father.

"G-Corporation is far too powerful an enemy to fight alone. Now, we've been going at each other for almost as long as you've been alive. As we fight, the Zaibatsu becomes more and more vulnerable to their schemes. The incident of Honmaru is proof of that."

"Just get to the damn point," Kazuya said quietly as he began to rise back up.

"When I take the Zaibatsu, I'll need a second-in-command: someone who has personal experience with G-Corporation."

"How…DARE you insult me with your damned _hand-me-downs?"_ Kazuya reared his fist back, but Heihachi rammed his head into him before he could use it.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN?" Heihachi boomed. "I'm giving you what you want: the Zaibatsu! G-Corporation is bigger than the both of us, and we both want to destroy it. Now is the time to put our differences aside…and band together!"

"Hey, you two. Time to get out of the ring," the ringside judge said as he walked up to Heihachi. The elder man nodded slightly as he and Kazuya turned their backs to each other and began to walk away.

"Kazuya," Heihachi added as he stepped out of the ring, "I'll give you until the tournament is over to think about it…"

-------

As soon as Kazuya went back into the locker room, he pulled a small tape player out of his locker and put it on the bench. As he got out his extra set of clothes to change in, he pressed "record" on the tape player and began speaking.

"King of Iron Fist 6, Day 4," Kazuya began as he took off his jacket, "it is over. Heihachi has defeated me again, but it was not like any other loss. He had every advantage over me and rendered my power completely useless. To add insult to injury, he even asked me to work with him."

"I do not know what his scheme is, nor do I care. The important thing is that the fool is giving me a chance to gain back the Zaibatsu which I covet so. However, a coup will not work…not when he has that kind of power," Kazuya's voice became softer as he unbuttoned his shirt and placed it on a hangar, "as such, I have deducted from his ramblings that he attained this power through something some fools call 'enlightenment.' Bah! Enlightenment can only be achieved when one's heart of iron."

"Heihachi believes that this involves unity of all forces within one's body," Kazuya chuckled lightly as he spoke, "while this is probably utter rubbish, I cannot take the risk of losing a chance at my revenge. As such, I will have to study every part of myself, including the part that I hate and loathe…my compassion."

"As such, finding Jun has now become imperative. I do not know why I saved her that day I was tracking Ogre in Yakushima. Perhaps the attraction that my other self felt was derived from something I felt. Or perhaps there truly _is_ some grand attractiveness to her. But it matters not. What matters is that she has been the only one to see the sides of me that I reject oh-so-willingly. In any case, I have invested far too much to lose her now."

Kazuya took off his pants and hung them up on the hanger with his jacket, shirt, and tie, then put them in a suit bag. He continued speaking as he got out a pair of street clothes. He would have been much happier with his hatred and indifference, but taking the Zaibatsu and eliminating his enemies were a priority.

"Perhaps I will take the fool's offer, and perhaps I won't. He is correct about G-Corporation, though. It is a powerful adversary that needs to be crushed. The fool Jean almost did what I could not: destroy my son. Speaking of whom, he would be far more valuable as an ally. Again, retrieving Jun becomes key as I can persuade him to work on my side."

"And then there's the other child," Kazuya put on his jeans and shirt, "I am again unsure why I tried to come back to Jun those 18 years ago. But regardless, the other child is best left not involved. If Jin's power is any indication, then her power is something best left untouched, lest I risk destruction. So long as no one else aside from myself knows about her true heritage, then all can proceed according to plan."

"To take out an enemy from within: if I choose to take Heihachi's offer, then I can take the Zaibatsu with this plan," Kazuya picked up the recorder as he finished getting dressed, "and I will look into my options more. But one thing is certain: I, Kazuya, shall not be denied my birthright."


	27. Doren vs Jin: Yetzerhara

Did you know that Sailor Moon turns 15 this year? That's right, it's been 15 years since that Pretty Solider in a Sailor Suit got her morpher and began kicking ass like no tomorrow! God bless you, blondie...

Also, I just completed my first week of my second semester of freshman year. It's already been tough, but I'm certain I'll get through.

Also, I'd like to thank Enkida for reviewing my earlier chapters. Thanks friend!

Oh, and Sachi, I'd like to talk to you about helping me organize a subplot, if that's OK with you...

Well...enjoy! Doren's had a fun ride, but I think it's high time that he went down.

-----------------

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back into the ring…Doren Sharon!"

_There's too many men,  
Too many people  
Making too many problems  
And there's not much love to go 'round  
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?  
This is the world we live in  
And these are the hands we're given  
Use them and let's start trying  
To make this a place worth living in..._

The Israeli soldier got out of his seat and waved to the crowd as he entered the ring to his usual "Land of Confusion" song, this time with Disturbed singing rather than Genesis. Even though he was still a little bit tired from his bout with Asuka only twenty minutes earlier, Doren felt that he still had enough steam left to fight. Watching Heihachi and Kazuya duke it out left Doren awestruck. Two of the most powerful fighters on the planet clashed in a literally electrifying match. It was just like the final match of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2 that he watched when he was a small boy.

But it was the match that lay in front on him that really sparked Doren's interest.

"And his opponent this evening…he's been known as 'the Fatal Lightning,' and was the champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Coming from Japan at 22 years of age using traditional karate, he's the sponsor of today's tournament. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the one…the only…JIN KAZAMA!"

_I've become so numb  
I can feel you there  
I've become so tired  
So much more aware  
I'm becoming this  
All I want to do  
Is be more like me  
And be less like you…_

Just about every person inside the Tokyo Dome got up out of their seats and cheered for the man responsible for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Jin was wearing a blue-violet hooded jacket with yellow flames etched across it, a matching pair of sweat pants, and red-and-white sneakers. He strapped on his trademark gauntlets as he came down to the ring. Once he got into the ring, he performed a small kata and smiled as he heard the crowd's cheers increase.

"Welcome to the King of Iron Fist Tournament, Lt. Sharon," Jin turned to his opponent and bowed, "I trust you have enjoyed your stay here in Tokyo?"

"Indeed I have," Doren returned the bow with a quick salute. As he did that, he took a sniff of the air and frowned, "Ugh, the ring smells like the battlefield back home: it's the scent of burning flesh."

"Don't feel sorry for my bastard of a father," Jin's smile quickly faded, "Heihachi was being far too kind to him. He was certainly a lot more merciful than I would've been." Jin's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist as he crackled with red lightning, "…I'm sorry, I must sound silly to you..."

"Not at all, we've all got our Yetzerharas," Doren shook his head lightly and crossed his arms as the gates went up in the ring. "Your father just has to listen to his Yetzerhatov. It's like Yin and Yang. You need to both to reach your ultimate potential."

"…intriguing," Jin raised an eyebrow and his smile crept back upon his face, "my mother once told me a similar thing when I was a small boy…"

"…I hate to break this to you, man," Doren rubbed the back of his head lightly as returned the smile, "but I don't think I'll be able to breastfeed you as well as your mom…for obvious reasons…"

Jin burst out laughing as Doren said that sentence so casually, and Doren began snickering as well. As they regained control of themselves, they got into a fighting stance. "Hehe..so tell me, lieutenant," Jin said as he stopped laughing, "what does your Yang, or Yetzerhara as you put it, tell you right now?"

"It tells me to battle and defeat worthy opponents…" the Israeli lieutenant's eyes sparkled as he began advancing towards Jin; "…opponents JUST LIKE YOU!"

Preparing against the oncoming opponent, Jin's hands began to glow red: the sign of his Lingering Soul stance. His plan was to knock away his opponent just as he reached him.

As Doren came at him at a full run, Jin reared back his fist. But Doren was faster than Jin had anticipated…and Jin was faster than Doren anticipated as well. The two fighters moved with perfect symmetry, and punched each other in the face simultaneously and went reeling in the opposite directions.

The crowd popped at the display of power and precision they had just witnessed. With the explosive performance of the previous fight between Heihachi and Kazuya, Jin and Doren had a tough act to follow. But in the very first blow of the fight, they already had the crowd enthralled. The two fighters rubbed their jaws and smiled. _Now this is what KIF is all about,_ Doren thought as he dusted himself off and resumed his fighting stance. _God, I love this tournament!_

As the two fighters ran at each other as if on cue, their smiles did not fade: they were going to enjoy this battle.

Doren caught Jin's leg and slammed him into the ground like he was a throw rug. With his opponent dazed, Doren brought his fist down to where Jin was laying and punched him in the head. In retaliation, the Japanese fighter rose up and sent Doren sprawling backwards with a forceful Torso thrust, a single straight punch that used his ki.

Landing on his feet, Doren looked up and dodged Jin's punch, countering with a staggering blow to his opponent's stomach which sent Jin rocketing in the air. _Is he holding back on my account,_ Doren asked himself as he juggled Jin in the air with a pair of knee strikes and sending him spinning to the ground with a backhanded punch, _or is he just testing my strength?_

Jin landed on his hands and righted himself with a flip. He wasn't particularly fazed by the previous attack, but he didn't think he'd be able to take that kind of punishment for much longer. _This guy has to have a weak spot,_ he thought, _perhaps I can find one if I force him to attack..._

Dodging Doren's kick, Jin ducked down into his Crouching Demon stance. With his opponent vulnerable, Jin punched him in the stomach with a Sugetsu Strike, bouncing his fist off of his opponent for additional force. Clutching where he had been hit, Doren backed away a few steps. He instinctively ducked Jin's roundhouse kick and grabbed Jin's face. After punching Jin a few times with his free hand, Doren kicked his opponent away and sent him across the ground.

_…I think I can see what's going on,_ Jin thought as he rubbed where he had been struck, he can find any opening, no matter how small, and use it to his advantage. Looking back up, he could see that Doren was sweating. _Well, it seems that he's finally tiring out…all I need to find an opening of my own, then pour it all into one great assault…_

"Hey kiddo, don't hold back on my account," Doren shouted between breaths, "this kind of challenge is what I live for!"

"Don't worry, Lt. Sharon," Jin said as he got back up and got into his power stance, "this fight is just getting started! Get ready!" Going at Doren with a full run with his fists aglow, Jin prepared to restart his assault.

Quickly evading a roundhouse kick, Jin let loose his almighty Omen Wind Hook Fist and sent Doren screeching across the ring but still standing. Obviously fazed from the attack, Doren reeled back as he crackled with Jin's red lightning. It wasn't as lethal or as potent as the demonstration that Heihachi and Kazuya had put up, but it was enough to stun the Israeli fighter momentarily.

And a moment was all Jin needed to begin his furious assault.

Bombarding Doren with powerful flurry of punches and kicks, Jin sent Doren flying backwards with a powerful leg thrust. Landing on his feet, Doren narrowly dodged a right hook and attempted to counterattack with a powerful knee. Catching the knee, the Japanese fighter headbutted Doren and shoved him away into the grated wall. Using a similar tactic that Asuka had used against him earlier, Doren pushed himself off the gates and propelled himself into a flying knee strike, sending Jin screeching across the floor.

As soon as Jin stood back up, he was sent skywards with a pair of simultaneous uppercuts. With his opponent still in the air, Doren juggled Jin around with a left hook, a powerful uppercut, a backhanded swat, and finally a roundhouse kick that sent the Japanese fighter spinning to the ground. Landing on his hands, Jin flipped back up and evaded another punch, countering with another Omen Wind Hook Fist, this time sending Doren spinning uncontrollably in the air and crashing to the floor.

_Unbelievable,_ Doren thought to himself as he struggled to get back up, the rumors don't do this guy justice. _He is MUCH stronger!_ Getting back onto his feet, the Israeli martial artist leaned down slightly and reared back his fist, crackling with blue-violet sparks. _I've never used this attack outside of the gym…but I guess now's a good a time as any!_

_…so that's the way it's going to be,_ Jin thought as he reared back his fist and began crackling with red lightning. _I'll have to time this one just right…_

"Here I come, kiddo," Doren shouted, "GET READY!"

The Israeli fighter ran towards Jin with his ki focused into his left arm for a powerful haymaker as Jin finished charging his powerful attack. The two fighters simultaneously shot out their empowered fists at each for one final desperate strike…

In what could only be described as pure luck, Jin's ultimate attack hit Doren in the cheek, while Doren's strike only hit Jin in the forearm of his punching arm, shattering his white armguard. _Damn it,_Doren thought as he crumpled onto his knees and fell to the floor while fading into unconsciousness, _it was fun while it lasted…_

Ten seconds passed, and Doren was still down. Jin Kazama took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his brow. It was certainly an enjoyable battle, but he was relieved that it was over.

"Ugh," Doren moaned as he regained consciousness and slowly stood back up, "Thanks for not scatching my lens, but what do you call that attack? I feel as if I've been hit with a freight train…"

"That was my most powerful attack," Jin replied as he helped Doren get back onto his feet, "I call it the 'Eighth Gate of Hell.'"

"…what happened to the other seven?"

"You blew past them," Jin laughed as he walked out of the ring along with Doren, "and just what do you call the attack that you used? No one's ever shattered my armguards before…"

"THAT was my Justice Galil. I once punched a hole through a brick wall with that attack…"

"That's interesting. I guess I should consider myself fortunate," Jin rubbed where he had been hit and turned around, "I really enjoyed our match, Mr. Sharon. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Japan."

"I'm sure I will. Shalom," Doren waved goodbye and headed to the stands.

_...now I can focus on more important things,_ Jin thought as he walked back into the ring and waited for Heihachi to come so he could begin his post-round speech, _things like where my mother ran off to, and finding her before my father or Sorel does. I'm willing to bet that the Frenchman is plotting something now…even as I step into this ring…_

--------------

"Oh, come ON, Mishima! At least TRY to make this difficult for me," Jean said aloud as he listened to Kazuya's recorded voice. He was wise to bug Kazuya's locker: the Japanese man was a creature of habits, and Jean was familiar with the major ones.

One of Kazuya's hobbies was collecting sneakers. Every year he was at G-Corporation, Kazuya used funds to buy boxes and boxes of sneakers for the sole purpose of putting them on display in his room. Another one of his hobbies was monster movies, or more specifically King Ghidorah features. Kazuya had once told Jean that the main reason he experimented on animals back when he owned the Zaibatsu was that he wanted to create his own three-headed monster to wreak havoc upon cities with.

But Kazuya's biggest habit was listening to the sound of his own voice. Originally, the scientists had asked him to create audio logs so they can study the Devil spirit and how often it took control. But even though Kazuya had gained more and more control of his other self, he still kept journal entries just to document "the path that ended Heihachi's life."

_And then there is the other child…_

Jean's train of thought was broken as soon as he heard those words. _Kazuya has a second child,_ he muttered to himself as he listened intently.

_I do not know why I tried to come back to Jun those 18 years ago…_

_…so that means the child must be eighteen years of age,_ Jean thought.

_…her power is best left untouched…_

_And the child is female,_ Jean rubbed his chin in comtemplation. She was eighteen years old, female, and most likely not going under the name Mishima. _Now who could it-_

A cruel smile crept upon the Frenchman's lips. He had discovered Kazuya's secret: his daughter not only had no idea of her heritage, but she was competing in the tournament. The child was practically Jun Kazama's double: Jean was surprised that he didn't figure it out sooner. But how could he exploit this?

A complex and insane plan began to brew in Jean's head...and one name echoed throughout his mind as the plan began to take form.

_Kazama..._


	28. Objectives

OH MAN! I am so giddy that I'm FINALLY about to get started on the subplots! I've literally been dreaming about this moment for some time...I'm more excited than a slightly-punchdrunk Kenichi staring at Asuka in her Secret T5 costume...yeah, I'm that excited ;)

Well...enjoy. It's a short chapter, but I think it gets the job done.

------------------

"Agent Raven reporting," the gray-clad ninja said into his headset radio. He was standing on top of one of the massive lighting fixtures, watching the fights far above the stands. Jin was about to begin his post-round speech, so he figured now would be a good time to report back in to Headquarters.

"This is Bird's Nest speaking, go ahead Raven," the radio buzzed as Raven stared down at the ring below him.

"It appears that our secondary target, the Masamune boy, is being followed by the Manjitou survivor Yoshimitsu. Rumor has it that Yoshimitsu entered the tournament to find potential students, so it's very possible that Masamune has caught his eye," Raven looked through a pair of binoculars that were sitting across his neck and looked down to where to target in question was sitting. "Should I stop him from making contact with the boy?"

"…negative. This will only help our cause in exposing the Yakuza's weapons trafficking ring. If the boy does indeed receive training from Yoshimitsu, then we can have them destroy the weapons ring, while we stand by and gather the evidence."

"…understood, sir," Raven responded as his gaze then shifted back into the ring. _So the boy's good enough to attract attention from that showboat Yoshimitsu, _Raven thought to himself as he watched Jin weave his microphone through his shirt. _Interesting…well, at any rate I told the squirt that we'd finish up what we started…this will only make our rematch more intriguing…_ "Sir, what did Kuni-…rather, what did 'Agent Sparrow' find out about the primary target?"

"…she managed to discover our target's true identity," Raven's superior began, "it appears that our enigmatic 'Unknown' was, in fact, Jun Kazama. She also discovered that both Kazuya Mishima AND Jean Sorel are pursuing her. Neither of them has made any progress thus far…"

"Sir, just give me the word and I will discover the whereabouts of Ms.Kazama. The tournament resumes in three days, and that should give me ample time. The aura she gave off was inhuman. If we managed to examine her body, we might be able to learn the secret of how G-Corporation manages-"

"Negative," the radio interrupted Raven, "Agent Sparrow has already begun her investigation. We have another assignment for you…"

_Another assignment? _Raven repeated in his mind.

"We bugged Kazuya's locker room earlier in case someone confronted him and engaged in conversation. However, all we managed to get was the sound of his own voice…listen to what we recorded…"

'**I do not know what his scheme is, nor do I care,'** Kazuya's voice buzzed over Raven's radio, **'the important thing is that the fool is giving me a chance to gain back the Zaibatsu which I covet so. However, an immediate coup will not work…not when he has that kind of power. As such, I have deducted from his ramblings that he attained this power through something some fools call _enlightenment_. The word itself is preposterous, but at the moment, I cannot think of a better word.'**

_Heh…so that bastard Kazuya is finally starting to pick up, _Raven chuckled to himself, _I guess all ice cracks after being subject to so much pressure…_

'**Heihachi believes that this involves unity of all forces within one's body…heh…while this is probably utter rubbish, I cannot take the risk of losing a chance at my revenge. As such, I will have to study every part of myself, including the part that I hate and loathe…my compassion. Thus, finding Jun has now become imperative. I do not know why I saved her that day I was tracking Ogre in Yakushima. Perhaps the attraction that my other self felt was derived from something I felt. Or perhaps there truly is some grand attractiveness to her. But it matters not. What matters is that she has been the only one aside from my grandfather to see the sides of me that I reject oh-so-willingly. In any case, I have invested far too much to lose her now.'**

_So…there WAS something more between Kazuya and Jun than just a one-night stand, _Raven's raised an eyebrow as he listened intently; _there really IS more to Kazuya than meets the eye…_

'**Perhaps I will take the fool's offer, and perhaps I won't. He is correct about G-Corporation, though. It is a powerful adversary that needs to be crushed. The fool Jean almost did what I could not: defeat my son, whose strength may very well surpass my own. Speaking of whom, Jin would be far more valuable as an ally. Again, retrieving Jun becomes key as I can persuade him to work on my side…and then there is the other child…'**

'_OTHER CHILD!' _Raven almost blurted the words out loud. Another child of Kazuya meant another carrier of the Devil Gene, and another engine of destruction completely unattended to. Quickly regaining his composure, the ninja continued to listen to the recording.

'**I am again unsure why I tried to come back to Jun those 18 years ago. But regardless, the other child is best left not involved. If Jin's power is any indication, then her power is something best left untouched, lest I risk destruction. So long as no one else aside from myself knows about her true heritage, then all can proceed according to plan.'**

With that, the recording ended, leaving Raven with one burning question in his mind: who was the second child?

Raven didn't need more than two seconds to figure out who it was.

"I trust from your lack of questions that you have already discovered the identity of our 'mystery child,'" his headset whispered in his ear, "but we weren't the only ones to figure out. We have received reports that a small Spetsnaz unit has been dispatched and placed under the command of Capt. Sergei Dragunov…with orders to capture 'the daughter of Kazuya Mishima.' How the KGB learned of this is still a mystery, but they must not succeed."

"And as you may know, the girl in question has developed…intimate ties with our secondary target," Raven paused slightly before continuing, "I am almost certain that when the Russian government makes their move, the boy will be there when it happens. Sir, all I need is the order and I'll make sure they are both ke-"

"Negative. You are to keep watch on the girl. If the Russian government does make its move, you won't be the only one there…because the KGB weren't the only ones to find out about it…"

…_there's more who know about this? _Raven asked himself as he watched Jin conclude his speech. Upon continuing to listen to his orders from his superiors, it all became clear to Raven. "…so you wish for me to be there and stand watch, and interfere only when I feel that there is no other choice…am I correct, sir?"

"That's correct, Raven," the voice confirmed, "if we interfere, we might risk exposure. And if we don't do anything, the Russian government might spark an international conflict," his radio went silent for a moment before concluding, "Raven, we are counting on you. We have three days until the tournament resumes, and the Spetsnaz will almost certainly be making their move then…be there when it happens and give us a report."

"…understood, sir," the dark-skinned ninja said as he turned off his headset radio.


	29. Awakening

_Whew...it's finally time. Gwendy has given me the OK to use one of her characters...when she officially shows up, I'll give her the credit._

_In the meantime...TIME WE GOT THIS PARTY STARTED!_

_---------_

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 5_

_5:24 PM_

The Zozoji Temple, located in the Tokyo garden district, is one of the oldest known temples in Japan, built in the year 1393 and moved to its current location in 1590 by the Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is now the main temple of the Jodo Buddhist sect in the Kanto region of Japan. Being that it was once the main Buddhist temple of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a mausoleum of the Tokugawa family can still be found on the grounds of the temple, and the crest of the Tokugawa family still decorates the family temple.

However, even today, someone with the blood of a Tokugawa soldier walks these grounds.

Kenichi Masamune, the modern-day descendant of a former Tokugawa general, who was under the family name of "Date" at that time, got off of the bus just outside the main gate carrying a notebook along with his classmate and rival, Asuka Kazama. The two teenagers were wearing their school uniforms: yellow sweater vests and a white undershirt. Asuka was wearing a blue plaid skirt, while Kenichi was wearing long pants of the same color. They were here not for sight-seeing, but for business.

"I can't believe that Shitow-sensei gave us homework on our tournament trip," Asuka moaned.

"It's a pretty simple assignment, Asuka," Kenichi turned to his female counterpart, "and given that 78 you have in national history, you could use the boost. At any rate, your father called me last night and asked me to make sure you got this assignment done. He figures that since this is part of my family's history, that I might be able to give you a few pointers…"

"Are you telling me that you're my dad's errand boy now?" Asuka put her hands on her hips and smiled, "Trying to earn his approval? Aren't you the snake charmer…?"

"N..na-ne?" Kenichi's face turned a bright red, "I-it's not like that at all, I swear!"

_Who am I kidding, _Kenichi asked himself rhetotically, _that **is** what I'm trying to do…trying to gain her father's approval…_

…_there he goes with the blushing again, _Asuka thought to herself as she and Kenichi began walking through the main gate. _I always like it when he does that…it shows that he's human. _"Well let me tell you this, pal," Asuka said out loud as she walked next to her friend, "When you asked if I wanted to do something together…this is NOT what I had in mind!"

As the two young martial artists stepped through the gate, they were completely oblivious to the terrors that awaited them…

------------

_6:09 PM_

Within the grounds of Zozoji temple was not only the graveyard of former Tokugawa family, but a beautiful flower garden and shrine as well as the great cedar tree planted in 1869 when President Ulysses S. Grant visited Japan. With numerous Buddha statues dotting the area, there was truly something spiritual about the garden. The setting sun only further augmented the serene setting. Given how there was very few people in the temple grounds that day to distract, Asuka and Kenichi had plenty of time to get an outline for their report written up while still having time to admire the scenery.

After climbing up the flight of stairs that led them to where they were now, Asuka certainly had to admit that the setting the beautiful as she stood just outside the entrance to the inner sanctum, the last place left before they had visited all of the parts of the temple that their school teacher instructed them to go to, she still didn't feel that this was where she belonged on that evening. She looked up and saw the gigantic Tokyo Tower in the distance. It was less than a mile away, and Asuka definitely felt like walking there before it got too dark.

But then she brought her head back down and saw Kenichi writing in his notebook and smiled, _I owe it to Kenichi to stay on task. Ever since the end of the last tournament last year, he has done nothing but help me get back on my feet and remember what it means to be a fighter…_

Kenichi looked up from his notebook and saw Asuka looking at him, and she quickly turned her head in embarrassment. _…I admire how she still keeps that tomboyism in check…while I simply stutter like some lovesick little boy,_ he thought to himself as he continued to watch Asuka, _that's why I can't help but wonder if I'm truly worthy of her…she has always remained constant in her resolve, while mine habitually stray from trying to find out the truth behind my fahter's death to impure thoughts involving the two of us together. _He knew one thing for certain: ever since Asuka gave him that kiss on the cheek after their battle, he would forever see Asuka as his "angel of the fight."

"Hey Asuka," Kenichi finally managed to say, "let's finish this up so we can head back. Maybe later tonight we can go to the basketball courts and play some one-on-one."

"Heh," Asuka rubbed her nose as she smirked, "sounds good to me. Just remember that I won't be taking it easy on you!"

"I couldn't have put it better myself…"

Kenichi and Asuka turned around in surprise at the unknown voice, and saw the origin: a European man with long blonde hair tied back in a red bow and eyes that shone a dull blue, wearing a blue leather jacket with the letter "G" above his heart and navy-colored pants connected with a loose bondage strap. At his hip was a sheath that contained a rapier. It was the very same man from the tournament: Jean Sorel.

"YOU!" Asuka blurted out as she and Kenichi got into a fighting stance, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Why, I'm here for you, madam," Jean gave an exaggerated bow as he drew his sword, "and if your young admirer, the…what is the word you use…"bishonen," would like to play along…well then…the more the merrier…"

"I'd hardly consider myself a bishonen, but if you threaten one of us, you threaten the other, scum." Kenichi's eyes narrowed as he began to advance, "I accept your challenge!"

"Hmph, don't be so modest, boy," Jean smirked as he watched both fighters toss their notebooks aside and come at him at once, "two fine-looking children such as yourselves need to...LOOSEN UP!"

But before either Asuka or Kenichi could take another step, Jean lashed out at them with his rapier and gave Asuka a clean scratch to her midsection, ripping open her sweater vest and drawing blood from just above her naval to just below her cleavage. As Kenichi was about to run to his friend's aid, Jean kicked him in the stomach then scratched the boy across his leg with a swipe from his claw-like gauntlets before sending him to the ground with an axe kick. The boy gritted his teeth as Jean began to grind his heel into his back.

Asuka quickly got back into a fighting stance and prepared to rush to Kenichi's aid. Both of them had clearly underestimated this man, as he was apparently much stronger than his arrogant manner led to them to believe. Asuka took off what was left of her sweater vest and looked at the cut in her white undershirt. But as she assessed the damage, she felt her head spin and her limbs go numb.

"You're probably wondering why you're already losing focus," Jean said as he kicked Kenichi's body towards Asuka and watched as the boy stuggled to get back up while he put his rapier back in its sheath. "This is because I have tipped both Flambert and my hands with a powerful drug. It should only last for around 10 minutes, which is coincidentally about how long we have until sunset, but that gives me more than enough time for what I came here for…"

As he spoke, he walked over to Asuka and punched her in her in the solar plexus so hard that he knocked the wind out of the girl. Then he walked over to Kenichi, who couldn't even get off of his knees due to the anesthetic now flowing in his veins. Jean kneeled down to Kenichi's level and looked into his eyes.

"…those eyes, boy…" Jean said, "those eyes are of a man who has fallen in love and whose devotion are solely to the one they love. You're probably thinking of a way to bash my head in despite the drugs, so you can save your precious Asuka…that is a trait I admire, my boy. Love is perhaps one of the most unrelenting and unpredictable of all emotions. It can make or break a man, drive him to the ground or propel him to because the best in the world."

…_damn him, _Kenichi cursed to himself as he attempted to will his body into motion, _he knows exactly how I feel, and he's mocking me for it…_ Turning his head, he saw the fallen Asuka. _…I can't let him win…I promised both her father and myself that I would look after her!_

"Well I'm going to grant you a chance to save her, young man," Jean said with a smirk as he grabbed both Asuka and Kenichi by their necks and kicked the door in front of them open. He dragged the two teenagers inside of the inner sanctum, and placed Kenichi right next to a large golden Buddha statue. The room was dark and fairly large, lit only by a large quantity of candles and what little sunlight was left in the day. "And I'm even going to let you do it front of your god."

Continuing to hold Asuka by the neck, Jean took off the gauntlet of his free hand with his teeth. He was smart enough to make sure that he was immune to the effects of the drug on his gauntlets; he would certainly look very foolish if he had done what he just did and got poisoned by his own medicine.

Jean smirked as Asuka's eyes slowly opened, then widened in surprise that she was right now in a vice grip. Her limbs were still numb, so there was little she could do to stop her attacker. "Don't worry your pretty little head, my tomboyish friend," Jean said as he grabbed onto her forehead and began to crackle with his green ki, "you've been chosen for…DEVILISH PSYCHOSIS!"

The teenage girl screamed in pain as Jean began to mutter something in Japanese, while Kenichi watched helplessly as he body continued to lay immobile. He desperately wanted to help her, and he tried his best to overcome the numbing agent. At last, he began to finally feel something in his limbs, and began to desperately try to once again move his body.

_Due to her having the gift of neutralizing the Devil spirit that Jin lacked, _Jean thought as dropped the now-unconscious Asuka, _she can easily mask her appearance as one of Kazuya's children and even resist the call of the Devil…all I had to do was uncover what was there, and now all we have to do is wait for the trick to take full effect…at any rate, this will certainly be fun to watch the end result of both the Kazama healing power and the Devil Gene fuse into one...this should be more than enough bait for the REAL target!_

Turning around, he saw Kenichi getting back onto his feet, a quiet fury burning in his eyes as he gave himself entirely to the adrenaline rush that overcame him and helped wash away the drug-induced paralysis. The drug had not completely worn off and Kenichi still didn't have what it took to fight, but he could now move around and he knew that very soon the drug will have worn off completely and he would avenge the honor of his angel of the fight.

"Listen up, boy," Jean said as he began heading to the door, "I have just awakened a power that lies within your friend more terrible than your wildest dreams. In a few minutes, the sun will have set, and the effects of the…boost I gave her…will go into full swing…and then it's MORPHIN' TIME, BABY! If you manage to defeat her…then you will have almost certainly won her heart with your brave heroics…if not," Jean smiled as Kenichi came at him and he kicked the boy back with a powerful roundhouse kick, "then enjoy your slow, agonizing, and quite possibly VERY erotic death!"

Kenichi quickly got back up and ran after Jean just as the Frenchman closed to door. The boy struggled to go after him, but the door was locked, and he certainly wasn't going to stoop to the Frenchman's level by destroying sacred property. Looking at Asuka, he watched as she began to crackle with dark energy.

_What…did mean by…morphing time?_

Kenichi would not have to wait more than five minutes to figure it out…


	30. Succubus

_Another week, another chapter! I hope to give you a really mushy chapter next week. In the meantime, let me introduce you to...MY Devil Asuka!_

_---------_

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 5_

_6:11 AM_

_Zozoji Temple, main garden_

Jean locked the door of the inner sanctum and began walking down the stairway whilst whistling a very poorly remixed version of the theme to Magiranger. He had miniature spy cameras hiding within the inner sanctum and all throughout the temple. He might as well have something to watch while he waits for the target to take the bait that he had just now set. Besides, he was quite interested in seeing what the boy might attempt to do to save his beloved. **That **was something that Jean respected: putting your life and soul on the line to protect the ones you love.

And given the rather large amount of sex appeal that the girl had…Jean would certainly be proud of the boy if he actually succeeded in quelling his friend's upcoming fit. Of course…the chances of the boy surviving were laughably slim. _At least I'll get to see the look on the girl's face when she rips out the boy's heart from his chest, then comes back to her senses just in time to feel it beat its last…I can hear her lovely cries of mourning now…_

"Interloper…"

Jean stopped in his tracks as he heard the unknown voice boom in a foreboding manner. He couldn't really tell where it was coming from, but he could definitely sense that someone was close by. And for some reason…the presence made Jean's blood begin to boil.

"I come to this temple to pray, but instead I find six dead bodies…all of them shrine keepers! HOLY MEN!"

_He must be referring to the men I had to silence around ten minutes ago as I approached the children, _Jean thought as he looked around to see where to voice had originated, _I_ _couldn't have any witnesses, after all…_

"You have violated the sanctity of this holy place! The spirits of the dead have grown restless! The souls of countless warriors buried here now cry out for blood!"

As the voice finished, Jean finally spotted the man: he was at the bottom of the staircase, clad in blue-violet armor with numerous wires covering any openings in the armor and a golden horn on his helmet, his face covered with a hannya mask and further veiled with a bullet-proof lavender visor. In his left hand was a katana that glowed an eerie jade color. Running up the stairs, the man let out a war cry.

"I, YOSHIMITSU, SHALL SMITE THEE!"

Jean smiled deviously as he quickly drew his rapier. The closer Yoshimitsu got to him, the more Jean's pulse began to race and the more brilliant his opponent's katana began to shine. It had been a rather long time since Jean had faced a fellow swordsman, and he had hoped to tangle with the Manjitou leader at some point. "I have other matters that need my attention, so I'm going to make this quick…fun, but quick nonetheless," Jean got into preparation as Yoshimitsu approached him, "EN GARDE!"

As Jean ushered out his battle cry, the dim sunlight that had been lighting the temple faded, and the lights of the temple turned on. The Frenchman's eyes sparkled as he let loose a cackle that was not at all sane. _IIIIIIT'S SHOWTIME!_

---------------

_6:14(Sunset)_

_Zozoji Temple, Inner Sanctum_

Kenichi let out a sigh of despair as he let go of the handle of the door. He had been struggling to open the door for nearly 3 minutes, occasionally stopping to look around the room and see if there were any other exits within the inner sanctum…but it was an old temple: there wasn't even a fire escape. The only thing he hadn't tried was breaking the actual door down, and that was out of the question.

Turning around, he looked at the fallen Asuka, still crackling with ki that was not her own. Kenichi had already tried to wake her up, but whenever he tried to touch her, he was bombarded with the same dark energy that was flowing through her, and he knew that he was of no use to Asuka if he was electrocuted.

He walked over to his rival and sat down next to her. _The man mentioned something about her transforming into something…awful…I wish I knew what it was. _Turning away, he looked at the golden Buddha statue in front of him and pulled out his red bead rosary from his pocket. _As long as I'm here…I might as well pray…pray that I find the strength to save her…_

But as soon as Kenichi began muttering a sutra, he noticed that his body began to darken, and realized the shadow that was beginning to loom over him. Quickly turning around, he saw a sight that he would not soon forget: his friend Asuka, a blue crystal on her forehead surrounded by black markings, slowing walking towards him. Crying tears of blood, she spoke, her words full of pain, "K…Kenichi…it…hurts…"

Kenichi had seen the markings before: they were the exact same markings that decorated Jin's forehead when he fought Jean. When those markings were upon someone's forehead, it usually meant that madness and destruction were not far behind. It became painfully clear to Kenichi just what Asuka was becoming. Half of him wanted to break down the door and run away as far as he could, but the other half, the half he listened to, told him to stay. Asuka was his friend and rival, and she needed him.

However, as Kenichi reached his friend, he was tossed back by an invisible force…and he knew that it came from Asuka. Her screams of agony began to increase, dark blue ki swirling around her body. Getting back up, he watched in terror as Asuka began to mutate.

Kenichi could only imagine the anguish Asuka was in as sharp horns began to emerge from her brown hair and grow in a direction parallel to her eyesight, while feathery wings began to tear out of her skin, punch through the back of her undershirt, and protrude from her back: the left wing made of white feathers, and the right one made out of black features. The screams continued to increase, almost as if it was a cry of violent ecstasy, the blue "eye" on her forehead shot out a blue beam; it was not a thin beam like from Kazuya or Jin's transformed states, but a massive ray of ki that blew a hole in the roof of the inner sanctum.

A pillar of light engulfed Asuka, as if to herald the event of the destructive force that had just been unleashed. Kenichi shielded his eyes as the bright flashed reached him, and when the light faded, the flames of the candles in the room had turned an eerie blue color, the golden Buddha statue seemed to glow a cryptic green…and standing in front of Kenichi was an Asuka far different from the cheerful girl that he had grown up with. Her garments had transformed as well into a revealing combination of blue and black. Her torso was adorned with a blue leather vest, opened up wide and barely hiding her modesty and revealing the black markings that now adorned her chest, while her skirt had taken on the same leathery properties of her newly-created vest. The fingerless gloves that she had worn were now black, chains wrapped around each clawed finger, and her sneakers were now navy-colored boots that were protruding metallic spikes from the heel.

More frightening than Kenichi's more terrible nightmares, and more beautiful than his wildest dreams: Asuka had quite literally transformed in an angel of the fight. There was no good to her now, nor was there any hint of evil: she had morphed into an indiscriminate killing machine.

When Asuka stopped shrieking, she shot Kenichi a look that he would never _ever _forget: a look of pure insanity, as if the noun "madness" had taken on humanoid form. Lunging out at the young man, Asuka knocked Kenichi in the air and carved a massive scar into his back with her fingernails as she came down, tearing apart his sweater vest and undershirt and drawing forth a cry of pain as he was sent spinning uncontrollably to the ground, a trail of blood in his wake.

'_If you defeat her, you will almost certainly have won her heart with your brave heroics,'_ Kenichi repeated in his mind as he landed on his feet, trying his best to ignore the blinding pain, _whether I win her heart or not doesn't matter to me. Even my surviving this is trivial. All that matters is that I find a way to turn Asuka back to the way she was...save her from this…this form! I promised her father than I would bring her home in one piece…and I swear upon my life that I shall live up to my promise!_

Slowly assuming a fighting stance, Kenichi prepared against the oncoming assault and said, "Forgive me, Asuka…but my fists shall beat to back to sanity! IKUZE!"

---------------

_6:15 PM_

_Zozoji Temple, Main garden_

The blades of the two fighters clashed, a brilliant flash emanating from Yoshmitsu's katana as it came into contact with Jean's rapier. Both swords had a long history that dated back to the 16th century. Yoshimitsu's self-named katana had once been exposed to Soul Edge fragments, while Jean's rapier Flambert had once crossed blades with Soul Edge itself. And as the two blades grinded against each other nearly five hundred years later, it was like fighting with a pair of cattle prods.

_My head has been pounding like a jungle drum ever since I laid eyes on this man, _Jean thought as he broke the standstill and kicked Yoshimitsu away, _I guess it really HAS been a long time since I've tangled with a true swordsman!_

_My blade has never shone with such evil energy before, _Yoshimitsu swatted away Jean's trust and countered by bashing Jean over the head with the hilt of his katana then sent him sprawling with a roundhouse kick, _there is more at work here than just this man! But what could it be?_

Yoshimitsu tapped his helmet, and his purple visor lit up. Once he did that, the computer in his armor sprung to life, and his visor became like a computer monitor and beep as it picked up other life signatures. They were coming from the temple, and one of them was utterly massive…while the other with a life signature he had become familiar with in the past few days: Kenichi Masamune, the boy who he had been hoping to one day become his pupil.

"…this power…WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Yoshimitsu once again engaged his opponent and the two fighters crossed blades yet again, supernatural sparks spewing from the blades with every strike. "Why does the sacred room of the Amida Buddha radiate with evil energy? Why is the Masamune boy trapped in that room, as well? Just how much damage have you done?"

Jean smiled as he grinded his blade against Yoshimitsu's, "You have no idea what's going on here…do you? But if you'd really like to know…head to the inner sanctum and see for yourself the terror that has been unleashed upon this world!"

Quickly breaking the standstill, Yoshimitsu pushed Jean away and ran up the stairs, but not before ushering a warning to Jean: "Beware, fiend. This is not over!"

"Of course it isn't, fellow swordsman. I shall see you at the next tournament! And I have enjoyed our brief duel," Jean shouted after him as he sheathed Flambert and began running in the opposite direction.

Jean's head finally stopped pounding and he left the temple grounds. He had not felt a bloodlust that strong since he slew his sister's murderer so long ago. _…must be the thrill of the fight,_ Jean thought as he went into his van and began his stakeout for the primary target to take the bait.

What he didn't know was that the true nature of his bloodlust stemmed not from the joy of competition, but from something dark that had been lying dormant within him…something that was beginning to wake up…


	31. First Kiss

_Well, here it is...Asuka and Kenichi's first big smooch...although slightly non-consensual. YOSHIMITSU FOR THE WIN!_

_Enjoy folks!_

--------------

The Holy Kazama power and the Devil Gene…if the two were fused together…where would the resulting entity's allegiance lie: on the side of light, the side of darkness, or would it be the bane of both ends?

Kenichi was soon about to find out as he watched his greatest rival and closest friend Asuka Kazama, who just seconds before mutated into a creature more captivating and fearsome than anything he had ever seen, assume a fighting stance that resembled her own Kazama-ryu stance. The boy knew, however, that it wouldn't be like any other battle he had previously with her. Just by looking at the stance, Kenichi could tell that it was filled with murderous intent.

_Regardless of how painful, or how fatal, this is going to be for me,_ Kenichi thought as he winced from the pain of the massive gash in his back that Asuka had given him only a moment before and was now bleeding through his undershirt and sweater vest, _I vow to return her to normal! As a martial artist, and as a friend, it is my responsibility!_

Tossing aside their doubts, Kenichi and Asuka came on each other with a full run, colliding into each other and beginning their combat. As Kenichi lashed out with a horizontal chop and struck Asuka in the temple, his heart began to waver. Normally he would be enjoying himself, fighting his greatest rival, but somehow, fighting in her current state of lunacy made it seem awful. _I just have to keep telling myself that this is for the better…this is the only way…I can save her._

It was a task more easily said than done.

As the chop hit her head, she eyed Kenichi with those eyes that shone of madness, and seemed to smirk at the attempt as if she was amused by the boy's resolve. Placing her hand on his chest, she sent the boy flying away with a short-ranged blast of ki: a modified version of her Vacuum Mist Palm. Using her wings to propel herself, she managed to catch Kenichi before he even hit the ground, and tear away at him with her lethal claws. His sweater vest torn off and another cut gouged into his back, Kenichi landed on his hands and got onto his feet.

As his vital fluids continued to stream down his back, Kenichi parried Asuka's follow-up swipe and sent her flying in the air with a straight uppercut. As she came down, Kenichi jumped into the air and placed his foot into her abdomen with a diving kick, propelling her further into the ground. Normally that would have been enough to knock the wind out of her momentarily, but as Kenichi jumped away, he watched Asuka stand back up with minimal damage.

All Kenichi did was add fuel to Asuka's bloodlust.

Charging her ki, Asuka ran at Kenichi with a full run, knocking the boy over and sending him sprawling to the Buddha statue that was now filled with dark energy. Crashing into the statue, Kenichi was further attacked with backflip kick that sent him into the air, and as he came down, was slashed at numerous times by Asuka's nails. As her nails tore into his flesh, Kenichi began to despair: not for himself, but for Asuka. She was becoming what she had trained all her life to fight against: a killer. Finally sent spinning uncontrollably into the Buddha statue with a roundhouse kick, Kenichi landed face-first on the floor.

There was little left of his undershirt, leaving his numerous scratches on his torso, as well as the gash on his back, for Asuka to see. _Get up, _Kenichi commanded himself as he tried to overcome to unconsciousness that was beginning to take hold…_GET UP! Get up or you die!_ Slowly he got up, and saw Asuka's crystal on her forehead began to glow. Kenichi was running out of blood and out of stamina: he didn't have the dexterity to dodge. Preparing to block the oncoming blast of ki, he put his arms up. Kenichi knew it would probably do little good, but he had to try.

He heard the sound of energy being discharged and shielded himself…but nothing came, as now standing in front of Kenichi was Yoshimitsu, his fake left arm rotating at cyclonic speeds, holding his sword and creating a shield that deflected the blast up to the ceiling, where it punch another hole through the top of the temple. Lowering his arms, Kenichi recognized him from the tournament: he knew that Yoshimitsu was not a threat. "…I am grateful, but where did you come from?"

Yoshimitsu pointed to the door, which had been pried open while Asuka had charged up for her blast, and then said, "I have come to aid you, young man. Do not fear."

However, Kenichi did not respond with his voice, and instead responded with a thump on the floor. Kenichi, still losing blood from the gash on his back as well as the smaller scars that now decorated his torso, fell onto his hands and gasped for air. Asuka, still in the grips of bloodlust, prepared to run over to Kenichi to finish the boy off, but Yoshimitsu stood in her way.

"Poor girl…your mind and body has been poisoned…Your fighting spirit has been corrupted and it has transformed you into a demoness," Yoshimitsu began as he began running his index finger across his katana, "but fear not, young one. I, Yoshimitsu, shall lead thee back to thy original path of righteousness!"

"…no," Kenichi said quietly as he stood back up, "_we_ shall lead her to the path back to righteousness…"

"Do not be foolish, boy," Yoshimitsu turned around, turning his glance away from Asuka, who was almost fully recovered from the aftereffects of producing her destructive ray of energy, "You will die if you continue, if not from her madness, then from your wounds."

"…it…doesn't matter," Kenichi protested, the fire in his eyes betraying his physical condition. "This is the second time Asuka has had to suffer with me being spared. When Feng Wei came to Osaka, he completely ignored my mother's dojo…but the Kazamas' dojo was all but put out of business…and the only reason I helped Asuka get back on her feet was because of my own selfish reasons," Kenichi slowly got his arms back into an "x" formation and resumed his fighting stance, "but…this time…this time I'm not going to let that happen again. This time I will ease her suffering…it's my duty as martial artist and as a friend…to save her…"

_This boy…what spirit! What honor!_ Yoshimitsu thought as he looked the teenager clench his fist, which began to crackle with dark red ki. "…you are indeed noble, young man…very well." Turning his attention to Asuka, who had now fully recovered and was ready strike, Yoshimitsu let out a war cry as he assumed his fighting stance, "Let us quell her rage, and return her sanity!"

Filled with violent intent, Asuka flapped her wings and propelled herself towards the armored man who had robbed her of her first kill. With a flash of his katana, Yoshimitsu gave Asuka a non-lethal, but quite painful, swipe to her midsection. Even though he was using the flat end of his blade, his swordsmanship was impressive enough to strike an opponent down without killing them or giving them permanent damage, but still give them an equal amount of damage than if he was using the sharp end. Gripping where she had been struck, Asuka dodged a horizontal swipe and tossed Yoshimitsu behind her with a vacuum throw.

Turning around just in time to dodge a horizontal hand chop, Asuka then attacked her second opponent with a palm thrust to his chest. Blocking just in time, Kenichi bombarded his possessed friend with a sextet of left-handed punches, ending with a right-legged roundhouse kick then sent her sprawling backwards. Creatively using her wings to right herself in midair, Asuka dived fist-first into Kenichi, sending the boy flying backwards and landing on his hands, before heading into the air again.

However, Asuka wasn't the only one in the room who was capable of flight. Rotating his fake wrist at cyclonic speeds using his sword as a propeller, Yoshimitsu took to the air to engage Asuka. With his right arm and legs as his remaining weapons, Yoshimitsu had a slight disadvantage, but he did not care. Asuka was an innocent, and he took a vow when he became Manjitou leader that he would protect the innocent. Kicked at by Yoshimitsu, Asuka finally had enough, and grabbed the man by his neck and drove him into the ground as they both went plummeting downwards. As the two fighters got back on their feet, Asuka sent Yoshimitsu crashing into Kenichi with another palm thrust.

…_this is peculiar…usually the Devil Gene only darkens one's soul, and warps the user's mentality to pure evil. Jin Kazama in his Devil form was a rather talkative fellow,_ Yoshimitsu thought as he helped Kenichi get back on his feet, _but Kazama-chan has yet to utter a syllable. It's as if good and evil are now foreign concepts to her, and rather she is but pure destructive force…I wonder…_

"Tell me something, young warrior," Yoshimitsu said to Kenichi, "did your friend's transformation happen all on its own?"

"…no," Kenichi said quietly, "that madman Jean Sorel attacked us, and then he grabbed her head and began to mutter something. He had drugged me with some short-lived chemical when he did that, so I am unsure what it was he was muttering. It was then that she started to…" the boy then went silent. It was obviously a moment that he would remember for the rest of his life, "…to transform."

_An incantation! _Yoshimitsu thought, _if it was invoked then perhaps it can be removed…with a purification process._ "Masamune-san," the armored man looked at Asuka as he spoke, "I have an idea: a technique that should cleanse her soul and stop the madness. I will need you to hold her still...do you feel that you have enough stamina left?"

"…it's not even a question," the boy answered. He knew that he was probably going to pass out from exhaustion very soon: the floor was already coated with his blood. But that did not matter: returning Asuka to normal was all that mattered to him.

"In that case, young warrior," Yoshimitsu nodded to Kenichi and the two fighters again got into a fighting stance, "LET US END THIS!"

Moving with perfect symmetry, Yoshimitsu and Kenichi ran towards Asuka at a full run as Asuka resumed her fighting stance. With Kenichi trailing him, Yoshmitsu suddenly stopped, and Kenichi took into the air, propelling himself off Yoshimitsu's shoulders and soaring above Asuka and landing behind her. Before Asuka could react, Kenichi latched onto her and held her still. Resuming his advance, Yoshimitsu ran over to Asuka, grabbed her head with his free hand, and began to mutter a sutra. "Namu amida butsu…namu amida butsu…"

With Asuka's dark ki beginning to pass through Yoshimitsu's hand, the possessed woman let out a banshee-like scream. Her horns began to shrink back into her skull, and the chains wrapped around her fingers seem to vaporize in a purple haze. Kenichi looked at Yoshimitsu's sword as purple lightning danced around its jade aura. He was funneling the dark energy into his sword: very soon it would be over. Then Kenichi felt a bit of warmth near his waist and looked down…and noticed that Asuka's hands were crackling with ki…something that he, and Yoshimitsu, noticed too late.

With inhuman strength, Asuka put up a barrier of ki and flung Kenichi and Yoshimitsu away from her. Kenichi crashed into the Buddha statue and slid down to the ground, leaving a smear of blood on the statue. Yoshimitsu crashed into a wall and fell face-first on the ground, leaving a dent where he hit. _It was working,_ Yoshimitsu thought as he watched Asuka fly over to the fallen Kenichi, _I must try again!_ But the crash into the wall had done some damage to the armored warrior. He tried his best to shake off the dizziness and attempted to get back onto his feet.

Asuka's mind was in a state of great unrest as she mounted Kenichi and pinned him to the ground as his upper half of his body was propped up by the Buddha statue. The purification via Yoshimitsu's Soul Siphon technique was not complete: now she was torn between her original state of consciousness and that awful insanity instilled upon her by Jean Sorel. Her mind still a raging storm wavering on the thin line between sanity and insanity, she raised her hand and prepared to deal a killing blow to Kenichi, putting her hand on his bare chest as to hold him still, feeling his heartbeat…and looking at his face…that beautifully-scuplted face that seemed strangely familiar to her…and as she looked into Kenichi's Prussian blue eyes…everything came rushing back: the memories of her father, her fights with her mortal enemy Feng Wei, and the many, MANY battles that she had with the boy that now lay helpless in front of her. But the boy that lay in front of her was not an enemy, but a friend. Perhaps even more than that, he was someone that she had feelings for…feelings that, in her unstable state of mind, she saw absolutely no reason to hold back.

…_what's…going on,_ Kenichi thought as he watched Asuka hesitate, trying his best to retain consciousness, _is it over?_

As if in answer to Kenichi's question, the next thing he felt was not a death blow…but Asuka's lips lightly pressing against his, the slow flapping of her wings revealing her contentment.

His face instantly turning a deep shade of red, it took a moment to realize what was going on. But upon realizing that Asuka's murderous intent had faded, he relaxed his body. He could almost feel the immense pain in his body slowly melt away as Asuka gave Kenichi his first kiss. _What a strange sensation…it's as if my body is being filled with a gentle breeze…like everything that really matters to me is being made clear...I had no idea_…_a kiss…could feel this good…is this what it feels like…to be in love?_

Regardless of how good it felt, it gave Yoshimitsu more than enough time to complete the purification process.

Slowly walking over to the two lovers, Yoshimitsu said quietly as he grabbed onto Asuka's head, "Masamune-san, please comfort her while I complete the process."

Asuka broke the kiss as she winced in pain while her wings began to shrink back into her back and the markings on her chest and forehead began to fade. Doing his best to comfort her in her agony, Kenichi willed his tired arms into motion and slowly wrapped them around Asuka. He was not used to such emotion: he spent almost all his life keeping his feelings to himself. But he gladly put that aside: Asuka needed him, and he would not deny her. _Asuka… whenever I needed you, you were there…my rival…my angel…now I shall repay my debt…_

Asuka's garments began to glow, then seemingly liquefy across her body, until they began to take shape once again into what she was wearing prior to her transformation: a tattered white undershirt with the back torn out, a plaid blue skirt, blue fingerless gloves, and a pair of sneakers. As Yoshimitsu let go of her head, Asuka positioned herself so that her head was resting on Kenichi's chest, and fell into unconsciousness almost instantly with his heart beat acting as a lullaby: exhausted from the energies that had been coursing through her veins.

Letting out a deep side of relief, Kenichi felt his head begin pounding again as the adrenaline rush that kept his aroused finally began to subside. "Y…Yoshimitsu-san," he said quietly, "That technique you used…I was wondering if you could teach me…in case this happens again...please…"

…_such nobility…I didn't even have to ask..._Yoshimitsu thought as he answered Kenichi's question, "It is an advanced technique, and I would have to teach you other techniques before it: the art of Manji Ninjitsu."

"…humph…me, a ninja," Kenichi laughed softly as he closed his eyes, "wouldn't that be…ironic." With a smile on his face, Kenichi rested his head on Asuka's and finally fell into a well-deserved slumber.

…_the deed is done,_ Yoshimitsu muttered to himself as he looked at the Buddha statue, still glowing with dark energy. _Now to purify this holy room!_ Stabbing his sword into the ground, the darkness began to be absorbed into Yoshimitsu's katana like dust into a vacuum. After a few seconds, the candle flames were again yellow, and the statue was once again golden. Pulling his sword, which was now glowing blue from all of the dark energy it had absorbed, out of the ground, Yoshimitsu looked at the sleeping Asuka and Kenichi. _Poor little children, _Yoshimitsu shook his fist in anger, _their rivalry, and their love, will be forever tainted by this incident…the blonde swordsman shall NOT be forgiven!_

Suddenly, Yoshimitsu heard footsteps, and quickly turned around to see seven men dressed in black riot gear from head to toe. Even though they appeared unarmed, Yoshimitsu could tell by patch on their arms that they were soldiers. Each of their faces was masked by a bullet-proof helmet safe for one. It was a face that Yoshimitsu remembered from the tournament: Sergei Dragunov, Command Sambo expert and a captain in the Russian Special Forces.

…_what do they want?_ Yoshimitsu asked himself as he readied his sword…


	32. Negotiator

Dark Resurrectiona PSP-exclusive...WHAT...THE...HELL? I mean, it's cool that teh PSP is getting a lot of love, but as Tekken players, I think we deserve a console release, too...ya know what I'm sayin'?

Well, whatever...I'll just see what the PS3 Tekken will be like before I buy a PSP...but with Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max already out AND Dark Resurrection on the way, my decision just got a whole lot tougher...

That's one subplot...FINISHED! Get ready for the next battle...

---------

"Sergei Dragunov, I presume," Yoshimitsu nodded as he remained alert, "it is said that you are a man of honor. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"…Mr. Yoshimitsu," Dragunov pointed to behind the swordsman, "I am here for Ms. Kazama. I am under orders to bring her in immediately."

"WHAT?" Yoshimitsu got into a fighting stance and prepared for battle, "Are you working with the blonde swordsman?" The Manjitou warrior had just quelled the rage of the girl they were talking about: he was certainly not about to give her up to these people.

"What in God's name are you talking about?" Dragunov and the rest of his crew assumed their own fighting stance in response to Yoshimitsu, oblivious to what the swordsman was referring to. "I am under orders from General Joseph Minorov! And resistance will be dealt with most harshly!"

"Well, THAT sounds like violation of at least three different treaties," an unknown voice said calmly.

Quickly darting around, Dragunov looked behind him and saw a tall man wearing a familiar olive military garb and red beret leaning against the door of the Inner Sanctum with his arms crossed. His handsome face, pair of glasses, and long black hair were more than enough to identify him: Doren Sharon, first lieutenant of the Israeli Defense Force.

"Lieutenant Sharon," Dragunov said with a hint of surprise, "what are _you_ doing here? Have you been spying on me?"

"For the past two days," the Israeli answered as he uncrossed his arms. "That woman in the trenchcoat from the tournament gave me a tip that you were up to something...looks like she was right." Looking pass Dragunov, he saw the sleeping Kenichi and Asuka with their torn clothing and frowned. Something had definitely happened before he or Dragunov arrived…and Doren had a good idea what. _Damn, it looks like I came too late…poor kid…seems that the woman in the trenchcoat wasn't kidding when she said Asuka had hidden powers not meant to be seen… I pray I'm wrong though…that those tattered garments are just from a heated sparring session…at least they're still alive._

…_he must be referring to the 'Unknown' competitor,_ Dragunov thought as he crossed his arms. _How did she know about this? Psychic power, more than likely: she certainly seemed to have supernatural abilities when she fought Heihachi. _"Be that as it may, I don't see what the IDF has to do with this. Now answer my previous question: why are you here?"

"I'm trying to prevent an international conflict from sparking off. One of the treaties you're violating also had the Israeli Prime Minster present during its signing," Doren pointed an accusing finger at the Spetsnaz captain. "So I am asking you…both as a fellow soldier, and as a fellow martial artist…please back off."

"…poor fools." Yoshimitsu shook his head as he overheard the two soldiers quarrel, realizing that Dragunov had no idea what had just transpired prior to his entering the temple. "Do you not realize that what you are doing is the exact same thing as what the Nazis did, or the men who were responsible for the strife in Vietnam?" Yoshimitsu clenched his fist as he spoke, "Blindly following orders…not caring for the repercussions of such tactics!"

"What? How dare you," one of the masked men pulled out a combat knife, "My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, how DARE you compare us those…Nazi BUTCHERS?"

"CORPORAL!" Dragunov's voice boomed with authority that made the man stop in his tracks, "Do NOT engage the enemy until I say so!"

"He does have a point there, Captain," Doren lowered his finger, "What you're doing here not only violates international code, but the morality of it is also in serious question."

"..." Dragunov was silent as he began stroking his chin in deep contemplation. The Israeli had a point: although Dragunov knew about the moral complications, he reluctantly brushed his doubts aside because of his pride and reputation as a soldier. However, he had yet to really ponder _why_ the general would want Asuka Kazama. What possible goals would it accomplish? The KGB claimed she was the "daughter of Kazuya Mishima," so she was a capable fighter, but nothing truly noteworthy that would benefit the motherland…as far as he knew. If they wanted her help, it would have been stated in the orders to "recruit" Asuka, not "capture" her. "…you bring up valid points, lieutenant," he finally said, "come, let us step outside…we'll continue this conversation in private." Turning to his comrades, Dragunov issued an order, "Men, do not engage while I am gone. This mission is postponed until further notice."

"That's fine by me, captain. I'm glad that we understand each other," Doren tipped his beret in acknowledgement as he let Dragunov pass him and step outside, closing the door behind them. Yoshimitsu let out a sigh as the door closed and sat down, surrounded by the remaining six soldiers who remained at attention. He had a very good idea why the Russian government would want Asuka, but Dragunov's ignorance to the reasons certainly left Yoshimitsu puzzled. _Is there some sort of conspiracy in Moscow?_

--------

"Well, lieutenant…it is just you and I now," Dragunov said calmly as Doren closed the door to the temple and the two soldiers began going down the stairway. "Your KGB profile says that you are a negotiator…so let us negotiate. It seems that you know some things that I do not…tell me what you know…_all _of what you know."

"Hey, captain, don't be so harsh," Doren responded as he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his glasses, "I'll tell you everything I know that pertains to the mission, that was the whole point of-"

"That is not enough, lieutenant," Dragunov began to scowl, "the true identity of the woman in the trenchcoat…divulge the information."

"…I am sorry, captain, but she asked that she remained anonymous," Doren's voice gained a more serious tone as he continued cleaning his glasses, "she's been trying to piece together her life, and I respect the wishes of a civilian. You should know this, captain: as soldiers, we have duty towards the people."

"I see…one of us will have to take liberties with our duties if we are to resolve this without creating an international conflict…a wager then," Dragunov smirked as the two soldiers reached the bottom of the stairway, "if I defeat you, you tell me everything you know. If you defeat me, then I'll call off my troops, no questions asked."

"What, this isn't something we can't work out with words?" Doren put his glasses back on, took a few steps back, and assumed a fighting stance in response to Dragunov. "Well, I've always believed a friendly match helps break the ice…so long as we keep it between ourselves unless we want our asses court-martialed. Alright…I accept your challenge!"

"Prepare yourself, lieutenant!" As Dragunov issued forth his battle cry, the two soldiers ran towards each other to engage in their rematch.

Quickly evading a right hook, Dragunov grabbed onto Doren's arm and took him to ground and brought him into an armlock. His muscles straining, Doren gritted his teeth a and grabbed onto Dragunov's foot and began twisting it as hard as he could. _What will he choose,_ Doren thought as he continued twisting while his other arm remained in the armlock, _my arm, or his foot?_

No longer able to endure, Dragunov let go of Doren and gripped his foot while Doren rolled away and rubbed his arm as he got up. Noticing that Dragunov hadn't fully recovered from the pain, Doren launched the Russian Spetsnaz soldier into the air with a pair of uppercuts shot out simultaneously, and brought him crashing to the ground with a double-fisted hammer as his foe came down.

Quickly shaking off the aftereffects of the blow, the Russian solider grabbed on to Doren's leg and got him into a successful leg lock, twisting the leg and slightly hyper extending it before standing back up. Grunting in pain, Doren narrowly rolled away from an axe kick and stood back up, though he winced from the pain in his leg. Blocking a finger-thrust, Doren grabbed Dragunov by the neck and sent him flying backwards with a powerful punch to the stomach. Landing on his hands, Dragunov flipped back onto his feet and resumed his fighting stance.

"You defeated me the first time because I was surprised by your unique style of combat," Dragunov said as he and Doren began sidestepping, walking in a circle, "But this time I am much better prepared. This time, I will not be defeated so easily!"

"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Doren said between breaths, "beating you the first time wasn't exactly easy! But if you want to get serious, then let's get serious!" Doren took off his beret and tossed it to the side. "Just remember: this is just a friendly match. I don't want this little wager to get out of hand."

"Do not worry, tovarich. I promise you that we shall resolve the Kazama matter momentarily," Dragunov nodded his head in approval as he resumed his attack. "You better be ready to divulge the information, lieutenant!"

Quickly evading Doren's leg thrust, Dragunov sent the Israeli soldier into the air with an open-fisted uppercut. With his opponent still airbourne, Dragunov contined his assault with a series of open-palmed strikes, finally sending Doren flying backwards into a flower patch next to the stairway with a backwards leg thrust. Landing on his feet, Doren quickly got back into a fighting stance as Dragunov came running after him.

Carefully parrying a fingers-first lunge, Doren grabbed Dragunov's face and began to punch the side of his head. After the third strike, Doren attempted to kick Dragunov away, but it was a snare. Catching the leg, Dragunov pushed Doren away, leaving the Israeli vulnerable to being tackled to the ground. "Now you are on my turf, lieutenant…on the ground is where I am the White God of Death!"

With lightning-fast strikes, Dragunov began pounding on Doren's abdomen with a powerful series of open-fisted strikes. The blows continued to rain down on Doren, again and again, until Doren caught Dragunov's fist and kicked the man off of him. Catching his breath, Doren put out his hand and said, "That's enough for now, Captain."

"Hmph! Over so soon? How disappointing…so does that mean you will talk?" Dragunov raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Of course," Doren said as he fell down on one knee, "I accepted the challenge so I can see for myself if you really were truly unaware of what was really going on with Asuka Kazama…I now see that from the way you fought that your nobility would never allow you to accept a mission if you knew the whole truth." The Israeli's handsome face became adorned with a smile, "You're okay, captain…"

"Flattery gets us nowhere, lieutenant," Dragunov said as he walked over to where Doren tossed off his red beret, picked it up, and handed it to Doren. "And you should be more careful with your uniform…it is unbecoming of a soldier of your stature."

"Now who's letting loose with the flattery," Doren replied as he put his beret back on and stood back up. "But before we begin, I'll have to ask you that you keep the woman's identity a secret. She has the right to remain anonymous, and we must respect that."

"Yes, yes, I vow on my honor as a soldier," Dragunov waved his hand slightly in his impatience. "Now let's begin…"

"…OK…the woman claimed to be an amnesiac when she approached me…it was right after the quarterfinals that she came to me. She told me that she entered the tournament to try and piece together her former life, and she also claimed to overhear of your mission and thought that I would be the one best suited to investigate it. In return I agreed to see what I can do about helping her fill in the blanks with her identity. Then she asked me," the Israeli paused in his speech, "…what would a child of Kazuya Mishima have?"

"…a Devil gene," Dragunov said quietly as he snapped his fingers, "so _that's _what the general wants! It appears my men and I are caught knee-deep in a conspiracy. Lieutenant, your information is safe with me: I will investigate this matter further and discover what my superiors in Moscow would want with such a terrible power. I will not allow my beloved Russia to be torn apart by such corruption!"

"Excellent," Doren nodded, "I'm glad we managed to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand…just remember: Asuka is with a different family for the very same reason. Don't tell _anyone_ about this…"

"And tell me, lieutenant…did you manage to find out the identity of our 'Unknown'?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Doren crossed his arms, "judging from what she and I gathered, it would seem that our mutual friend was Jun Kazama…former WWWC officer who went missing for the past seven years after being attacked by that Ogre creature that rampaged around the world not too long ago." Lowering his head, Doren shook his head, "Unfortunately, after I told her name, she just bowed and left…without saying a word."

"…interesting…well, that will be all lieutenant…this will just be between the two of us." Dragunov nodded as he pulled out a radio from his pocket and pressed a button. "Corporal, tell our men to start packing up and getting ready to head out. I will meet you at the bottom of the stairs."

"Sir," a young man's voice responded, "After speaking with Yoshimitsu, we have learned that Ms. Kazama was attacked earlier, and the man claimed that she…transformed into a Devil…however Yoshimitsu withheld the name of the attacker from us. We managed to find a few feathers within the temple to confirm this…however we didn't discover any marks on her arm to indicate any sort of transformation…should I take the feathers with us?"

"…yes, corporal. They shall serve as proof of what has transpired…over and out…" Dragunov said as he put his radio down. He had a good idea who is was that attacked her: the same man who held a grudge against anything that involved Kazuya Mishima: the madman Jean Sorel, who constantly shot off his mouth during the tournament on how he would wreak awful vengeance upon Kazuya and his brethren, whether they were Kazuya's ally or not. _So G-Corporation made their move…that's interesting…that maniac is already one of Russia's major allies in genetics, so I can't just arrest Sorel…yet._

"Captain," Doren began, "I noticed that you refrained from doing any serious damage to my head…it's probably a silly question, but is their any particular reason why?"

"It _is_ a silly question, but easily answered," Dragunov walked over to Doren as he spoke, "…you know of Natasha Federov, yes?"

"…yeah," Doren rubbed that back of his head in his reply, "she's my fiancée…how do _you _know her?"

"Hmph…she's my little sister, separated from divorced parents…we haven't seen each other in seven years though…I just didn't want to damage the face my sister fell in love with…"

"Whoa…so you're the brother Sergei she's told me about," Doren raised his eyebrows in surprise, "…small world…sorry if we didn't send you an invitation to the wedding…it must have gotten lost in the mail…"

"Lieutenant…I know humor is the way you deal with these things, but do me a favor and give it a rest…I'll see you at Ostrheinsburg, or if you can't make it, the next tournament…" Dragunov saluted as he saw his men exit the inner sanctum. "Tell Natasha that her big brother Sergei sends his best."

"…I will," Doren returned the salute and watched Dragunov and his men walk away, "Shalom, Captain…and I'll look forward to our next battle." _…well,_ Doren said as he walked back up the steps of the inner sanctum, _this little rivalry of ours just got a WHOLE lot more interesting!_

As Dragunov walked walked out of the temple, a faint glimmer caught his eye in a nearby bush. Reaching out to glimmer, he picked up a miniature spy camera, no bigger than a pea. "Hello, whoever you are," Dragunov said to the pea-sized device, "did you enjoy the show?" Crushing it between his fingers, the captain said coldly, "Wait until you see the next episode…"

_­_-----

Once Doren got back to the top of the stairway, he opened the door to see that Yoshimitsu had not moved from where he was standing when he left him: the only difference being that the Manjitou warrior was now sitting down. "…so…I see you managed to get this resolved," the armored warrior said as he stood back up, "…well done."

"Yeah, but there are still some questions I would like answered from you," Doren said as he gripped his arm where Dragunov had put him in an arm lock earlier, "…just what went on here before Dragunov and I got here? I overheard Dragunov's radio transmission that she was attacked…"

"…I shall explain later, Sharon-san. But for the moment…let's get these two back to the hotel..." Yoshimitsu said as he put his sword into a slot above his back and picked up Asuka from Kenichi's arms, being careful not to rouse her. "You seem to be aware that Asuka is secretly a Mishima…do you know who the mother is?"

"…I've got a pretty good idea," Doren replied as he gently picked the slumbering Kenichi, who had begun to heal from his wounds, "but I have a feeling my informant would appreciate it if I kept it a secret for now…"

"…you are as virtuous as they say, Sharon-san," Yoshimitsu bowed his head as the two fighters began walking out of the temple with a teenager in each of their arms, "Come…we have much to discuss."

----------------

"What the hell just happened?" Jean said to himself out loud while he sat in his van, watching what had just transpired. "It seems that Kazuya's big secret wasn't such a secret after all…and that meddlesome Dragunov will definitely begin searching for any sort of evidence he can use against me and G-Corporation." _But no matter,_ Jean thought as he realized that he was talking to no one,_ the Russian government is a fight for another time…I have bigger fish to fry…_

Looking at another screen, he found his quarry. She was within less than a mile of the temple grounds. The trap had worked. Asuka Kazama had awoken to her awful power, and that most certainly drew out Jean's target from her hiding place. Tapping on his keyboard, Jean looked the radar screen, hoping that the computer within his van would triangulate on her location.

_The top of Tokyo Tower: that makes sense. She would have a bird's eye view of everything in the city. She lived in Tokyo for a while…she must be trying to see if she can remember something by looking at her old hometown. If she had regained all her memories, then she would have surely stopped me when I attacked Kazama and Masamune...well, don't you worry, madam…I'll be sure to reacquaint you with your past!_

Turning the key of the van into ignition, the vehicle roared to life. As Jean pushed down the pedal and headed to the entrance of Tokyo Tower, he began to chuckle…which began a laugh…and finally climaxed into an insane cackle.

_Jun Kazama…we have a date at Tokyo Tower!_


	33. Tactical Strike

-best Raven impression-

Psychoblue's TV...is dead.

Great, now I'm stranded with no way to play my Dreamcast or watch DVDs(there's a TV card in my PC so watching shows isn't TOO much of an issue.)

Well whatever...ENJOY!

--------------

Tokyo Tower: the world's tallest self-supporting tower at 333 meters. In the postwar boom of the 1950s, Japan was looking for a monument to symbolize its ascendancy as a global economic powerhouse. Looking to the Occident for inspiration, the Tokyo Government decided to erect its own Eiffel Tower. It was completed by the Takenaka Corporation in 1958 at a total cost of ¥2.8 billion. Although it chiefly functions as a radio and television broadcasting antenna, the Tower is best known as a tourist destination, though it is decried by some as overpriced and inconveniently located, and as having poor amenities.

Overpriced for some, perhaps, but for a King of Iron Fist Tournament competitor, admission was on the house.

Parking his van near the tower entrance, Jean looked at the radar screen in the back of the van. It looked like his target was leaving the Special Observation Deck and was heading back down to the ground. _Is it because the bait I set for her has faded away with the young Kazama lady's defeat…or is it because…she knows that I am here?_

Looking at the radar screen intently, he watched the blip on the screen descended to ground level…and heading right to his location. It wasn't a retreat she was doing: it was a _challenge._ He watched as the blip on the screen moved closer and closer to him…two-hundred yards away…one-hundred seventy-five yards away…

Turning off his vehicle and equipment as there was no longer any need for it, Jean stepped out of the van and immediately spotted his quarry: a woman dressed in a white trenchcoat with a dark purple tie and black undershirt. The hands were covered with a pair of purple gloves, and the feet were covered with formal black shoes. With a pair of shades covering her eyes and a white derby covering her head, she seemed to levitate towards Jean's location. _I'll say this for her,_ Jean thought as his quarry's feet descended onto the ground, _she certainly has a flair for the dramatic…_

"Jun Kazama…the Devil charmer herself," Jean lowered the upper half of his body in an exaggerated bow, "I am truly privileged. We haven't been formally introduced: my name is Jean Paul Sorel, champion de la G-Corporation." With a cruel grin adorning his face, Jean righted himself and crossed his arms. "I am told that you are psychic…you know what I am here for, correct?"

"…your soul…"

"Hm?" Jean raised an eyebrow as he heard a feminine voice emerge from his target's lips so quiet that he could barely hear her, "What are you saying…?"

"…your soul…it is just like his…" The elder woman seemed to glow with a dark purple aura as she tilted her glasses. Slowly assuming her Kazama-ryu fighting stance, the air around her went frozen as she continued, "I cannot let you see him…I will stop you here and now."

"…what a creepy lady you are," Jean said quietly as he drew his rapier, "it seems that you have regained a good portion of your memories, but that shall not avail you. Jun Kazama…you are coming with me…WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT!"

Lunging at his adversary with violent intent burning in his light blue eyes, Jean's rapier shot out and narrowly missed Jun's ear. Now left wide open, the French martial artist was knocked into the air with an open-palmed uppercut and sent sprawling backwards with a lunging elbow strike, his rapier going with him. Landing on one hand, the swordsman flipped back onto his feet and got his rapier back into preparation.

Dodging a high kick, Jean countered with one of his own, kicking his female adversary's chest and then sending her sprawling to the ground with a roundhouse kick. Landing face-first on the ground, Jun quickly rolled away from a stab of Jean's rapier and grabbed on to the man's leg, then pulled the footing from him, and mounted the man in her Vale Tudo Mount. Punching the man's face numerous times, Jun finally got off his body when she felt a great pain in her back: Jean had dug his gauntlets through her trenchcoat and began to pierce the skin and cloth underneath.

_I almost forgot that she can create an exact duplicate of any fighting style she sees, _Jean thought as he scrambled back up and licked the blood off his lips, _which means I can't guess her techniques as well as I could for the other competitors…because at this point she has so many styles to choose from! Maybe I should have brought Jack with me…fortunately while was in the van I tipped my gauntlets with a much more potent version of the drug that I used on the other Kazama…let's hope that she doesn't have immunity._

Quickly realizing that there was no use worrying about coming unprepared now that he had actually confronted his target, Jean got back into a preparation and poked Jun in the pressure point in her kneecap, causing her to bend over and lose her footing. But before she could fall down, Jean punched her in the face with his free hand and shattered her sunglasses, then kicked her in the temple to send her spinning uncontrollably to the ground.

Rising back up with an elbow to her opponent's stomach, Jun once again changed her fighting stance. Grabbing onto Jean's shoulder, she rammed her knee into his abdomen, then repeated the technique again before grabbing onto Jean's neck and tossing him away over her shoulder. Landing on his feet gracefully, Jean turned around onto to get sent flying backwards with a Phoenix Smasher.

…_I shall not accept this,_ Jean clenched his fist as he got back up, _I have ruined far too many lives for this to go up in smoke now…Jane…I promise you…I shall emerge victorious!_

"…Jane…"

Raising an eyebrow upon hearing his girlfriend's name, Jean quickly assumed a fighting stance, "…how…did you read my thoughts?"

"You should go to her," Jun said as she took off her hat and tossed it aside, "there is no need to foolishly toss her aside for vengeance…"

"What th-how dare you," Jean sputtered in his reply. "If you can truly read my mind, you would know I am doing this for her! Kazuya must fall…and YOU are going to be the bait!"

"…it does not matter," Jun's eyes began to glow as she spoke in that soft voice, "…he will continue to go further into the darkness…until I save him…until I defeat him…" Unbuttoning her trenchcoat, she took it off and tossed it behind her, revealing her black knit shirt and purple tie, as she issued a warning, "and you…do NOT…want to get in my way…"

"…insolent little minx…" Jean growled, his handsome face now adorned with a scowl so sinister than it rivaled that of even Kazuya, "…you dare think that you can defeat me…after how much I've gone through just to get you to come out into the open…such arrogance shall be your downfall!"

His green ki started to crackle across his blade as the bloodlust within him began to once again take effect. He did not try to stop it: there was no need to stop it. This woman had the gall to bring up his beloved Jane, and then tell him that he was neglecting her. He had no intention of letting her get away with that unscathed. "It shall rain blood today! COME ON!"

Assuming a new fighting stance, Jun resumed her assault by jumping over Jean's head and landing behind him, shooting out both her legs behind her and kicking the man in his back. _THIS STYLE AGAIN? _Jean thought as he turned around. _More Chinese arts…just my lucky day!_ Shooting out her palms, Jun prepared to send her opponent flying backwards, but Jean blocked the blow and grabbed onto her neck with his free hand, then thrust his knee into her chest a couple of times before kicking her away.

Not giving her any respite, Jean lunged out at Jun with his rapier, nicking her across the side of her neck. Continuing his assault, he punched her in the face with his free hand, then opened his palm and attempted to slash her across her chest…but it was a snare. Catching the swipe, Jun tossed Jean over her shoulder with a Vacuum throw, sending Jean to land on his head.

…_she's definitely stronger than I am…perhaps even stronger than her son, _Jean thought as he got back up and rubbed the spot on his head that he landed on, _but it matters not! Think, Jean, THINK…how can you beat her?_

As if in answer to Jean's question, Jun began to lose her footing slightly and was shaking her head, as if something was making her dizzy. _Yes!_ _The drug must FINALLY be taking effect! _

Seeing his opportunity at last, Jean began his assault anew with renewed vigor, his thirst for victory surpassed only by his thirst for his opponent's blood. Stabbing the stumbling woman in the leg and leaving his blade sitting in her leg. With both his hands free, Jean pummeled Jun in the stomach with a series of punches before pulling his rapier out of her leg. Then he began to stab her, again and again, slowly at first, but soon beginning to pick up speed. With her wounds continuing to bleed and the effects of the drug pulsing through her veins, Jun began to crumple to the ground.

Picking her up by her neck, Jean glared at her yellow eyes that were beginning to lose their eerie glow. "You should've come quietly, Madam Kazama," Jean murmured as he smiled cruelly while Jun faded into unconsciousness in his stranglehold, "there is nothing sharper in this world than a blade a Sorel…except maybe his wit! RAHAHA!" As Jean let loose a maniacal cackle, the woman lay motionless in his hand.

When he stopped laughing and his smile faded, Jean dropped the unconscious Jun and caught his breath. _…what was that sensation? It was just like what I felt when I fought the other swordsman not too long ago…like my entire body just screamed to bleed her dry, even though I knew that I needed her alive._

"Well, it doesn't matter," Jean said as he put his rapier back in his sheath, "I have…WON! JEAN SOREL FOR THE WIN, BABY!" Jean jumped in the air and pumped his fist in theair in his triumph. Through cunning, deviousness, and determination, his elaborate plan had succeeded and he had successfully captured a target more powerful than he was…and it felt _good_.

"Now then," he said to no one in particular as he walked over to where Jun's trenchcoat and hat landed and put them on his body, "I think it's time we moseyed on out of here." Picking up Jun in his arms and tossing her into the back of the van, Jean slammed the door and walked to the driver's side of the van. The drug that he gave Jun would knock out a normal person for at least twenty hours, but given Jun's new genetically enhanced recuperative abilities, Jean would be surprised if it lasted for more than fifteen…which was more than enough time for Jean to do what he wanted to do.

_Kazuya, _Jean thought to himself as he turned on his vehicle and drove to his next destination, _can you feel it in the air? The winds that foretell…your defeat?_


	34. Reason Being

_Wine and Roses: Haha, thanks for showing that you care! See you at our next AIM/MSN chat!_

OK, everyone...time to begin the next and final subplot before the Finals. Just remember...I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!

_----------_

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 6_

_5: 00 AM_

"Why…why…WHY?" Kazuya pounded his fist on the bed as he entered his hotel room. He had just returned from scouring the city since 8: 00 PM the previous night for the woman that he needed in order to defeat his arch-enemy and father Heihachi. He needed her not just for her combat strength, but her ability to unlock emotions that would normally be inaccessible to him. However, it was all in vain. Kazuya could not find her: it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But that wasn't what was really bothering him. "Why am I still pursuing her? Why am I _really _pursuing her?"

For all his life, Kazuya had always put his own well-being before anyone else. In his eyes, everyone else was but an obstacle. However, for reasons that he was unsure of, he had saved her life that fateful day when he was tracking Ogre in Yakushima and found her getting mauled by the creature. And his _behavior _afterwards, and the reaction that his idiot comrades at G-Corporation elicited from him…it was if he was a completely different person…and that worried Kazuya a great deal: that he was becoming soft…and weak.

And when Kazuya finally discovered that she was competing in the tournament merely three days ago…he pursued her without a second thought. And when he failed to catch up with her, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long, _long _time: despair.

He was doing all of these things by sheer instinct.

_I am Kazuya Mishima, the true heir to the Mishima Financial Empire…I am beyond meaningless concepts such as family...for I have bigger things to worry about…,_ Kazuya reassured himself as he rubbed his tired eyes and took of his jacket, _and yet…why am I still pursuing her? Why did I save her… or even before then, why did I even consider going to her those eighteen years ago? How was it that she was able to discover my weakness…my compassion?_

Kazuya clenched his fist as he asked himself the burning question: _Is it possible, that after twenty-two years…I've grown infatuated with her? I, Kazuya Mishima, the incorruptible evil…corrupted? _

When Kazuya made his pact with the Devil spirit so very long ago after his father tossed him off that cliff with the excuse of wanting to "see him become a better, stronger man," he swore that he would never be the same meek little lamb that he was when he was a toddler. He swore that he would never again be kind, compassionate, loving, or any other sort of emotion that he found sickening. So why was his pursuing this woman, who his other self had found so interesting?

As Kazuya continued to ponder that question, he felt a buzzing in his pocket. . _What imbecile would call at this ungodly hour,_ Kazuya grumbled to himself as he took his cell phone and flipped it open, _probably that idiotic adopted brother of mine…_"What do you want, Chaolan?"

"Chaolan? Am I to assume that you and your brother know each other so well that you can anticipate when the other calls?" the voice on the phone taunted in its reply, "I didn't know you were into that yaoi schtick, Sir Kazuya…"

"…what do you want, Sorel?" Kazuya replied as he rolled his eyes.

"I just wanted to tell you that our little race to find Madam Kazama is officially over…I have won."

…_damn…I was afraid of this…_Kazuya thought as he listened to Jean finish that sentence.

"Kazuya…I am quite aware that you have big plans for our lovely friend," Jean continued, "so am willing to offer you a chance to get her back…"

…_it is a trap, obviously, _Kazuya rolled his eyes at how predictable his adversary was. "I am listening, Sorel. Now make it quick…I have not the ears to lend to babbling idiots."

"Excellent…meet me at the parking lot of the Saitama Super Arena at 700 hours…that gives you about two hours to have a nice hearty breakfast…and believe me, you'll need it."

"…and tell me, Sorel," Kazuya said with a smug tone of voice, "…why do you set this trap when you know full well that I could crush you like the bug you are? Behind the rapier and kickboxing…you are just a man. I, on the other hand-"

"-am Kazuya Mishima, the Devil made Flesh and the true heir of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Yes, I know." the voice interrupted. "But just remember, Sir Kazuya: sometimes, being human is all you need to achieve total domination…adieu for now. I'll see you in a bit."

After hearing Jean Sorel hang up, Kazuya closed his cell phone and walked over to the window. _It's a trap…any idiot can see that. However, that bastard Sorel is never one to lie…he has her, and he will be there with her…his mistake._ He smirked as he walked away from the window and began changing into his purple tuxedo. _The fool has done the work for me…all I have to do is pick her up as a parent would a child at a daycare center._

_How very appropriate,_ Kazuya muttered to himself as he finished buttoning his shirt, _seven years later, I am instinctively pursuing her…saving her once again…a similar situation, different animal._ Once he took his purple jacket and put it on, Kazuya opened a drawer under his TV and took out his red fingerless gloves with the silver beads embedded in him. Putting them on and tightening them, he said out loud, "If Jun is fated to be part of my plan, or even if I _have_ grown infatuated with her...then so be it…but I shall take first blood, at the throat of Jean Sorel."

Having said that, he walked out the door and headed to the lobby for an early breakfast…with that same question that he asked himself prior to Jean calling him: why?

----------

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 6_

_6:00 AM_

Heading to the middle of the living room of his mansion, the young CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu Jin Kazama prepared to start his morning kata. He felt helpless with his mother out there somewhere, and having absolutely no clue where to start looking for her. _She's out there…completely unaware of herself…and the only ally I have is that bastard father of mine…_

"DAMN!"

Tossing a sharply-honed kick into the air, Jin shouted out his frustration. When he cornered Kazuya in the parking lot of the Tokyo Dome after his mother, under the guise of "Unknown", lost to Heihachi, he discovered a side to Kazuya he didn't believe existed. While Jin could tell where Kazuya was spicing some parts of his story up to make it believable, his tone of voice was quite different from the sinister tone that he was used to…it almost made Jin sympathize for him.

Almost, but not quite. Now Jin hated his father more than ever: not for completely forsaking his mother, but for denying her chance to rest in peace. It was bad enough that Kazuya willingly tossed his mother aside to continue his thirst for vengeance, even though she genuinely cared about him…but to deny her the chance to die…THAT was something that really gave Jin a reason to kill.

When Jin unlearned his old Mishima-ryu style, he also decided to leave his mother's Kazama-ryu style out of his new style…his current style: the traditional Shito-ryu style karate. He did that because he knew that his mother would disapprove of how he was trying to eliminate the Mishima bloodline: she was able to let go, but he wasn't. In his shame, he elected not to sully his angelic mother's art with blood.

_I will not become like my father,_ Jin thought to himself as the continued throwing punches and kicks into the air, _I will go beyond my father. I won't just reject his hatred…I'll teach him the error of his damnable ways. As soon as we get my mother back, I'm going to break his legs and prove to him what a fool he's been...THAT is what mother would want: save his soul even though doesn't deserve to be saved…why did you have to so forgiving…mother…?_

Suddenly, the heard the phone in the kitchen begin to ring. _Who would call this early in the morning?_ Jin murmured to himself as he went into the kitchen to answer the phone. Eddy and Xiao were still sleeping: Jin was the only one awake in the house, so he might as well answer the phone so the ringing doesn't wake up his two assistants. Picking up the telephone, Jin put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey there, Oedipus…how's it hanging?"

_That voice…Jean Sorel!_ Jin almost dropped the phone as he heard the voice of the very man who was out to slay his mother. "What do you want, you sick freak?"

"Hey, tone it down, good monsieur...you wouldn't want to wake up your dear friends, now would you?"

"…" Jin was silent as he cursed in his mind. "Just say what you have to say. Talking to you makes me want to vomit."

"Tch…your manners could use a little work, but you are correct: let's get down to business." Jean's voice suddenly began sounding very serious, "Our little race to find your mother has ended…and I win."

…_mother…NO! _"Tell me where she is…NOW!" Jin screamed over the phone.

"Hahahaha…meet me at the parking lot of the Saitama Super Arena at 700 hours. That gives you about an hour to eat a nice breakfast…oh yeah, be sure to come alone."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, slimeball…" Jin said coldly as he clenched his free hand. It was obviously a trap, but if it meant finding his mother, Jin was more than ready to leap at the chance.

"…your insults really suck, Kazama...but whatever. I'll see you there."

Once he heard Jean hang up, Jin quickly went back to the living room and put on the shirt that he left hanging over the couch. Jean was the same person who told him that his mother was competing in the tournament, and he was correct about that, so Jin knew that Jean was telling the truth. _I'll end this once and for all, mother,_ Jin thought as he finished getting dressed, _and then we'll finally be able to be together again!_


	35. Infectious Love

Erika: Haha...come on, the colder, the better!

Wine and Roses: Glad you liked it! And of course, Jean is immensely cool...

So...who here expected this fic to go on this long...I certainly didn't!And it's still not over! I'm guessing this fic will go for 40 chapters, butI might be wrong...anyhoo I'm glad you enjoy it!

AND I WISH MY ARCADE WOULD GET DARK RESURRECTION ALREADY! C.Nash1, please be sure you keep me posted and send me a PM when the Huntington Mall gets it!

Oh well...

GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!

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The Saitama Super Arena, also known the symbol of the Saitama New Urban Center, is located on the outskirts of Tokyo. The arena frequently holds a variety of different events, including concerts, sporting matches, exhibitions, and trade fairs, among other things. Jin Kazama had chosen this arena as one of the locations for the first two rounds of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, but decided to put the rest of the tournament in the more-conveniently located Tokyo Dome.

What makes the Saitama Super Arena truly noteworthy is how it can change its shape. The seats on one side of the arena rest on a gigantic mobile block that can be moved to adjust the layout of the arena, tailoring it to suit the needs of each individual event. It can hold up to 37,000 when the moving block is fully stretched across the arena to create a venerable indoor stadium.

_How very fitting,_ Kazuya thought as he pulled up into the parking lot and got out of his car, a red 2006 Mitsubishi Galant. _The place where I shall find Jun, who has the ability to change her fighting style at will, is a place that does not have one constant form…how deliciously ironic…_

Kazuya looked at his watch. He still had ten minutes before he was supposed to meet Sorel. He considered going into the arena ahead of schedule, but Kazuya knew Jean all too well. There were probably numerous traps waiting for Kazuya if he went in too early, and he knew that Jean had enough information on the Devil Gene to know what kind of traps would be most effective against him. So all he could really do…was wait…

"…what are you doing here?" An unknown voice shouted behind the middle-aged man. Turning his head slightly, he saw a fist approach his face, giving him a mere instant to move his head slightly to the side and narrowly dodge to blow. As Kazuya turned his body around to face his attacker, he saw that it was none other than his insolent fool of a son: Jin Kazama.

…_interesting, _Kazuya thought as he crossed his arms, _he managed to get that close to me without my noticing him…perhaps he does have what it takes to make sure Heihachi doesn't get the Zaibatsu back. _"It appears that you also received a call…that Sorel is digging himself a rather deep grave."

"I don't care about your silly little vendetta with Sorel. I'm just here to get my mother back…and away from you!" Jin slowly assumed a fighting stance. He was extremely close to finding his mother, and he wasn't going to let the man who had given her nothing but troubles come between them.

"Imbecile…do you really think fighting me is going to do you any good?" Kazuya shook his head in disgust as he assumed his fighting stance. "However, if you continue to hinder me, I shall strike you down without a second thought."

As the two were about to engage in violent combat, Kazuya felt a buzzing in his pocket. Pulling out his cell phone, Kazuya eyed Jin, who simply pointed at the cell phone and nodded. Opening the phone, Kazuya said coldly, "What do you want?"

"You're here early…and I trust that you've met your son," the voice replied. "I asked for the both of you to come for a reason…if you want Jun, you'll both have to come and get her."

"…hmph…I don't know what your game is…but I'll play along…" Kazuya said as he hung up. Turning to Jin, Kazuya noticed that he was no longer there. Looking towards the arena, he saw his son running towards the entrance. _…moronic fool,_ Kazuya muttered as he walked after his son.

---------------

In the Saitama Super Arena primary form, the Main Arena is the ideal venue for indoor sports such as basketball, boxing, tennis, gymnastics, as well as for musical events of many kinds. The exciting play of the athletes and the spectacular performances of the artistes reach into every corner of the arena, creating a strong sense of unity between the audience and the stage.

Jin Kazama entered the darkened arena at a full run. He was primed to tear that Frenchman apart for even thinking of harming his mother. He had spent the past seven years believing her to be dead, and now that he finally learned that she was alive, there were people out for her head. _Although I'd hardly call the state she's in "alive," _Jin thought as he approached the main stage: the only part of the arena that was lit, _once again, I have my father to blame…_

"…welcome, Sir Jin…I was hoping that you would come so that you may witness this grand event."

Quickly darting around, Jin got into a fighting stance when he heard that familiar snide voice. Stepping onto the main stage was the European man with his hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon. His black tuxedo with the puce trim, combined with his clawed silver gauntlets and rapier at his hip, were easily identifiable to who the man was.

"…you again…" Jin began to crackle with crimson lightning, "…give me back my mother!"

"Tch! You call that a threat?" the Frenchman said with a hint of disappointment.

"Give her back to me now, and I won't put you in a coma for the next week," Jin spat back as he continued to crackle with energy. He normally would not make such violent gestures to anyone that wasn't a Mishima, but Jean had been responsible for much of his grief throughout the tournament. Even though Jin defeated Jean in the quarterfinals, he still had not fully vented out all of his anger on him.

"Heheheh…take a look behind you, Oedipus…" Jean said with a smile as he pointed behind Jin with his clawed finger.

Feeling a dark aura that sent a chill down his spine, Jin slowly turned around to see a lithe woman clad in a white trenchcoat. "M…MOTHER!" Jin immediately identified the woman and ran towards her. But just as he was about to reach her, he went sent flying backwards with a palm thrust. "Mother…what are you doing?" Jin said as he rubbed where he had been hit.

As if to answer his question, Jun's eyes began to glow and she started to crackle with purplish-yellow energy. A bright green vapor seemed to eminate from her back as she gripped her face silently. In a matter of seconds, the vapor hovered around her body and started to take shape. Jin gasped in surprise in what the vapor solidified into: a frightening black wolf-like creature with the torso of a man with no legs, hovering around Jun and mimicking her movements. "What…what have you DONE to her?" Jin shouted to Jean.

"All I did was unlock what was already there…you have your father to blame for giving me the means to draw forth the darkness within." Jean put his hands in his pockets as his voice began taking a more serious tone. "Now, I originally wanted Kazuya to face her…but if you really want to save her, you have to fight her and defeat her…how does that sound, Oedipus?"

"…no…" Jin muttered to himself as he turned back to his mother. "I will not fight my mother…no matter what…"

"Honestly, man…when I say 'Oedipus,' I don't mean you should take that literally…maybe you'll change your tune if you are forced to defend yourself."

With a snap of Jean's fingers, the possessed Jun charged at her son and tackled him to the ground, bringing him into a Vale Tudo mount. After being punched in the face a few times, Jin kicked her off of him and stood back up. "Mother…I'm sorry"Jin said as he finally assumed a fighting stance. "I have to do this…to save you…mother…MOTHER!"

Feeling his blood began to boil, Jin let out a cry of anguish as he began to crackle with red electricity. He knew this feeling all too well: he was about to transform. _There's no other way…I have to remain in control!_ Jin's hands suddenly transformed into claws, horns began to sprout from his temples, and a red jewel emerged from his forehead. Finally, a pair of black feathery wings ripped through his shirt and erupted from his back. "M…MOTHER," the transformed youth said, his breath haggard as he assumed a fighting stance. "I PROMISE YOU…I SHALL CLEANSE YOU!"

_That didn't take much…he's transformed without losing his sanity…he's even retained his preferred style rather than the style he uses when he's fully possessed, _Jean thought as he stepped off the main stage, _I wonder how this will turn out…_

Tossing aside his doubts, Jin caught his mother's punch and tossed her over his shoulder, sending her crashing to the ground a few feet away from Jin. Scrambling back onto her feet, Jun swept Jin off his feet as he approached her, and then brought him into a leg lock. With a primal cry, Jin grabbed onto his mother's foot and began to pull. No longer able to take the strain, Jun got off of Jin and the two fighters stood back up.

Knocking his mother into the air with a straight uppercut, his Thrust Godfist maneuver, Jin juggled his mother in the air with a pair of jabs, another uppercut, and finally a leg thrust that sent her sprawling to the ground. Landing on her feet, Jun approached Jin faster than her son could think, and grabbed him by the neck. With her eyes shining no discernable emotion, she tossed her son straight up in the air and sent him spinning uncontrollably to the ground with a leaping roundhouse kick.

…_I have to maintain focus, _Jin thought to himself, feeling his sanity slipping away from the power he invoked from within him, _I have to do this without letting my Devil within taking control!_

Seeing her foe delay for an instant, Jun returned Jin's previous volley of strikes in favor by launching him high in the air with a Demon Uppercut. After a pair of jabs, the youth was sent screeching across the stage with a Dragon's Breath maneuver. Not giving him a chance to breathe, Jun ran over to Jin and stomped on his head with a Geta Stomp. Grunting in pain, Jin came back to his senses and rolled away just in time to avoid another stomp.

_Damn it all, I can't let this battle go on for very long! If I do, I'll completely lose it, _Jin cursed in his mind as he quickly got back up. _I have to make this quick…even quicker than my fights in the tournament! And there's only one technique I can think of that can do that for me…_

Narrowly sidestepping a straight punch, Jin sent his spiraling high into the air like a rocket with a straight uppercut, and then immediately reared back his fist as he crackled with red lightning. _I'll have to time this just right...NOW! _Just before his mother landed, she was sent sprawling across the stage with Jin's most powerful attack: the Eighth Gate of Hell. As she landed, she didn't seem to get back up, though she was still breathing.

"I've…done it…" Jin said quietly as he fell down on one knee as his wings shrunk back into his back, his horns back into his head, his hands returning to their original state, and the markings and jewel on his forehead dissipating. Allowing himself to transform without losing his sanity had taken a toll on both his body and mind. He certainly wouldn't be trying that again. "…I've…saved you…"

However, Jin looked up and noticed that the wolf entity was still hovering above his mother. Jean had told him that if he defeated his mother, she would be cleansed and the wolf entity would disappear. _So why isn't it going away?_

In answer to Jin's unspoken question, Jun slowly got back up and shook her head, the wolf entity mimicking her movements. Apparently, the fight was not yet over.

…_so close…I was so close, _Jin thought to himself as he got back up and resumed his fighting stance. He couldn't risk transforming again: he might completely lose his sanity if he did that. The two fighters stared at each other, as if they were re-evaluating each other after their previous set of blows. _Mother…I don't care how long it takes…I shall save you!_

Charging at each other once again, mother and son raised their fists at each other, and just when they were about to resume trading blows…those fists were caught by unknown gloved hands.

Their heads turning to the source of those hands, they saw a middle-aged Japanese man with black hair and a purple tuxedo. It was none other than Kazuya Mishima. Then, faster than Jin could either break free or shout out "what the hell are you doing," Kazuya's red eye glowed fiercely as his hands began to crackle with his blue electricity…electricity which then bombarded whoever was touching him at that time.

Jin roared in pain for a couple of seconds, then faded into unconsciousness. He was already fatigued: it didn't take much to send him into a knockout slumber. Letting go of his son, Kazuya focused his attention on Jun. _Why am I doing this, _he thought as he continued to try and send her into unconsciousness, _she'd be more useful to me like this…so why…WHY?_

The wolf entity above Jun howled in pain as the electricity continued to flow through its host. Finally, it let loose one last roar, then fizzled away in a green haze. Once he saw the spirit die, Kazuya immediately let go of Jun. The woman stumbled for a moment, then fell onto her knees, then collapsed onto the ground, but before falling into unconsciousness, she uttered a name with that cryptic but gentle voice of hers: "K…Kazuya…"

As he saw her collapsed to the ground, Kazuya felt an awful sensation well up within him. It wasn't like a seething hatred like he felt for Heihachi, but more like an awful sinking hatred that made him feel like his heart and just been hit with a Phoenix Smasher._ NO, _Kazuya screamed in his mind as he recognized the emotion for what it was, _I have been infected! Infected with this…WEAKNESS! The cancer that took root twenty-two years ago has spread!_

Suddenly, Kazuya heard the sound of hands clapping together as Jean walked back onto the stage. "Very impressive, Kazuya," the Frenchman said with a cruel grin, "for a moment, I thought you decided to chicken out like at Honmaru…I'm glad to see I was wrong."

Quickly transforming his "weakness" into something more useful like rage, Kazuya's red eye began to glow again. Jean Sorel had been a thorn in his side ever since he first met him nine years before. Jean Sorel was the one responsible for the ambush at Honmaru. Jean Sorel had willingly fouled up just about all of Kazuya's grand schemes, and with his capture of Jun, Jean Sorel had helped spread Kazuya's weakness as if it were a cancer.

Kazuya had absolutely no intention of letting Jean live…


	36. Blood Feud

WOO-WE! What a doozy of a chapter! Hope everyone can keep up with people appearing so fast!

Enjoy! And thus the final subplot ends...get ready for the NEXT battle!

**C.Nash1:** Don't forget to drop me a line when the Huntington Mall gets Dark Resurrection!

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Mishimas and Sorels: two different families from two different continents with similar long, bloody histories ripe with betrayal and inner strife. One of them would create the massive Mishima Financial Empire, the other would become one of the founding families of the genetics giant G-Corporation. As the two companies began to clash, so did the two families. In the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, this minor financial rivalry had erupted into a full-fledged blood feud, with Jean Sorel, the Vice President of G-Corporation, launching an elaborate plan to destroy Kazuya Mishima and his blood kin.

A plan that would soon come to a dramatic conclusion…

Kazuya Mishima glared at the grinning Frenchman as he stepped onto the main stage of the Saitama Super Arena. _I am now poisoned by this cancerous emotion that took root twenty-two years ago…the emotion that should have been banished from my psyche. Throughout this tournament, this plague has spread through my mind and soul…and he is the one to blame…_

"Kazuya," Jean's smile faded as he placed himself a few yards from the fifty-year-old Japanese man, "that emotion you are feeling right now…you hate it, don't you?"

"I don't 'hate' weakness, Sorel…I loathe it," Kazuya growled as he assumed a fighting stance, "and thanks to you, it has infected me!"

"Love is not a weakness, Sir Kazuya," Jean said as he outstretched his hand slightly, "used correctly, it can shake the world. I specifically orchestrated this plan so that when you die…it would be as a man…and not as some whimpering vengeful animal." Pointing outstretched hand towards the fallen Jun, Jean continued, "Your actions just now are merely the end result of my plan to make you a true warrior once again."

"…I see…you couldn't find any discernable weakness you could exploit…so you decided to create one…with Jun as the catalyst," Kazuya's rage seemed to dwindle slightly as a smirk crept upon his lips, "…remarkable indeed…I'm almost impressed. But you are forgetting one thing…"

"Oh, really?" Jean tilted his head as he eyed Kazuya in confusion. Merely seconds ago the man looked ready to have a nervous breakdown, and now he was smiling, "Just what am I forgetting, Sir Kazuya?"

"You just told me your plan, and that has just led to your undoing …so I hope you have a masochistic streak to go along with your sadistic tendencies," Kazuya began to slowly walk towards Jean with his fists clenched, "because I promise you this is going to hurt."

"…that's the spirit, Kazuya! I knew you would be smart enough to adapt!" Jean returned Kazuya's smirk with an insane grin as his opponent's slow walk quickly became a full run. "Make me pay! Make me suffer! MAKE ME WORK FOR MY VICTORY!"

Quickly drawing out his rapier, Jean blocked Kazuya's flying kick with his arm and elbowed Kazuya in the face as he landed. Kazuya backed away slightly from the blow and came to his senses quick enough just in time to duck under Jean's forward thrust and swept his adversary off his feet with a foot sweep, followed up with a left hook to send him spinning uncontrollably to the ground.

Scrambling back onto to his feet to narrowly avoid an Oni Stomp to his head, Jean punched Kazuya in the chin as he got back up and followed up with a kick to his head. Grabbing his enemy's leg away as it came to his head, Kazuya lifted Jean up and slammed him into the ground as if he were beating a throw rug. "You're no match for me, Sorel," Kazuya said coldly as he picked Jean back up by his head, "and you never were! Behind your fancy footwork and your _ridiculous_ sword, your bones are as brittle as anyone else's!"

"Ugh…maybe so, you Akira Toriyama reject," Jean said as he kicked Kazuya in his left knee, forcing the Japanese man to drop him, "but you forget…SO ARE YOURS!"

Grunting in pain as he gripped where he had struck, Kazuya left himself vulnerable to Jean's attack. With a powerful knee thrust, Jean let out a cackle his oriental adversary coughed up blood. With a flick of his rapier, the Frenchman continued the blood-letting with a quick swipe to Kazuya's arm. Finally, he sent Kazuya flying backwards with a roundhouse kick.

Continuing his onslaught, Jean's rapier came down upon Kazuya in a vertical slash, scratching Kazuya across his shirt and leaving a rip. Moving back up Kazuya's body, Jean's rapier scraped his chest and caused the elder man to roar in pain. With another cut to the man's chest, Jean sent Kazuya once again reeling backwards with a leg thrust.

…_maybe I should not have been so hasty, _Kazuya thought to himself as he flipped back onto his feet, _Sorel is obviously more crafty than I have given him credit for…even after pulling off this elaborate plot, he still toys with me…normally, I would write that off as simple arrogance, but after discovering my weakness, I cannot take anything to chance._

Dodging another thrust from Jean's rapier, Kazuya sent the Frenchman airborne with a quick standing uppercut as his florescent blue static-like ki crackled across their bodies: the after-effects of his trademark Electric Wind Godfist. Keeping his opponent in the air and helpless, Kazuya juggled his insane foe with a quick jab, and right kick, and a powerful fist thurst that sent the man across the stage.

…_it's like chess, _Jean thought as he licked the blood off of his bottom lip, _whenever we seem to have an edge, we get pushed right back! I knew this was going to be difficult, but I didn't expect to have this much of a challenge!_

Once again engaging each other, Jean and Kazuya ran at each other with violent intent flashing in their eyes. Creatively blocking Jean's rapier with the back of his silver bead-studded gloves, Kazuya used his free hand to punch the twenty-seven-year-old European in face, and then follow up with a kick to his face, a punch to his chest, another kick to his shin, and finally another punch to his midsection that sent the Frenchman spinning uncontrollably to the ground.

"How…DARE you strike my face with your filthy hands," Jean spat out as he got back up and lightly rubbed where Kazuya had struck him previously, "I'll drink your blood for that, you creep!" With his rapier shooting out faster than Kazuya could think, Kazuya was stabbed in the arm and roared in pain as the blade pierced his skin. Twisting his blade so as to further the agony, Jean lifted his leg and planted it in Kazuya's face, grinding his heel into him before kicking him away and removing Flambert from his arm.

Clutching where he had been stabbed, Kazuya growled under his breath and roundhouse-kicked the insane Frenchman away from him. He was bleeding quite a bit: he should have been thinking about doctors. But instead, all he could think about was how he was going to tear apart the foolish blonde man who dared crossed him…and Jun. _There I go again! Even now I cannot clear my mind thanks to that Frenchman's antics, _Kazuya thought to himself as he watched Jean get back up. Then he remembered the words of what Jean said about converting it into strength: how it had the ability to shake the world. _So that's what I have to do: turn his emotional babble against him…very well! If it means I can rip out his throat, I shall temporarily accept it! Redemption by blood…how delicious!_

At that moment, Kazuya's red eye began to sparkle as he let this new rage take over. He could once again feel his body move on pure instinct, as if it was being controlled by some other entity. And right now, Kazuya's instincts told him one thing: revenge. With his bloodlust matched only by his quiet fury, Kazuya lunged out at Jean with unprecedented ferocity that even Jean flinched at such a spectacle. Then, faster than Jean could react, Kazuya knocked Jean's rapier out of his hand and grabbed onto his throat.

But what really caught Jean's attention was what color Kazuya's left eye was glowing: rather than flashing red, it was flashing bright blue.

"This is where it ends for you, Sorel," Kazuya said quietly, "this is the part where you die. In mere seconds, I will use the same technique I used to subdue Jun and my son…except amplify it one-hundred fold. Your twisted mind will sizzle until you die." The Japanese man revealed a sinister smirk as he finished, "I am going to miss you, Sorel: you were one of the very few men who had the ability to make me laugh."

"…I don't mean to disappoint you, old man," Jean said as quietly removed his gloves behind his back, "but this battle is far from over!" His hands shooting out faster than Kazuya could notice, Jean latched onto Kazuya's neck with his left hand while his right hand grabbed onto Kazuya's arm.

"…what are you doing?" Kazuya said with a hint of disappointment. "What idiotic scheme could possibly save you now?"

"Did you honestly think that I unlocked Jun's power with conventional science?" Jean said quietly as he continued to grab onto Kazuya's neck, keeping it firm but being careful not to strangle the life out of him, "I studied your Devil Gene inside and out…both the genetic and supernatural standpoints! With my expertise, I can turn your own power against you and burn you out like a candle…and thus we have ourselves a standoff…"

…_damn…I have a feeling that he's not bluffing, _Kazuya cursed in his mind as the two fighters gripped each's next and began circling the ring together as if it was some sort of twisted waltz,_…I'll have to take him out quick…before he can use that technique._

"Oh, and Kazuya, before you die," Jean said with an insane grin, "let me just tell you one thing: your daughter is HOT!"

_WHAT? He knows. _Kazuya raised an eyebrow as he heard Jean said that. It was becoming quite apparent that he knew more about Kazuya than he should have. "…you know too much…I cannot let you leave this place alive." His eye began flashing red again as he started to crackle with purple electricity, "Goodbye, Sorel."

"Yes," Jean began to crackle with his green electric-like ki in response to Kazuya as their respective energies began to flow into their victims, "It's time to say goodbye. LET'S ROCK, BABY!"

With violent intent burning in their eyes, the two fighters began their attempts to roast their opponent with their own natural energies. Power most pure and untamed commenced bombarding their bodies while their own energies flowed into their foe. In but a couple of seconds, the two fighters began screaming in pain and agony.

_Can't…take it…anymore! If I continue to funnel out my energy like this, I won't be able to resist this buffoon's attack, _Kazuya thought as he continued to scream along with his adversary, _I have to break off…now! _Putting his foot on Jean's chest, he launched himself off the Frenchman and broke their hold on each other, leaving streaks of lightning in their wake.

Quickly dropping down on one knee and clutching his chest, Kazuya caught his breath. Whatever Jean did to him, it put a massive strain on his heart. He felt as if he was going to pass out. _If he had held on any longer, he might have actually done some serious damage, _the elder man thought as he looked up at the screaming Jean, who was crackling with purple energy, _but at least he won't be a threat any longer…look at him writhe!_

Jean's agony was made perfectly clear by how he roared in pain as his body was crackling with energy that was not his own. His mind was being plunged into an awful darkness…a darkness which freed him from the other energy that was bombarding him.

In a flash of green electricity, the purple electricity vanished, much to Kazuya's astonishment. However, Jean's screams did not cease. Earlier in the tournament, Jean had felt uncontrollable bloodlusts that seemed to take over his mind as if it were a separate entity. What Kazuya had just attempted did indeed damage his mind, but not in the same way he intended. It had awakened the hereditary insanity that Jean had been fighting for all of his life.

The demons within Jean's blood had now awoken…and they craved blood.

Jean turned around at Kazuya with eyes that definitely gave the Japanese man reason to sweat: both eyes were glowing bright red, and his skin seemed to lose its pigment.

"KA-ZOO-YAH," Jean screamed with his mouth foaming like a rabid animal, "WHAT HAVE TO ME?" The bloodlust in Jean's voice was apparent, and even Kazuya began to worry. The aura of insanity around the Frenchman was so thick and so apparent, that Kazuya could feel it. Desperately willing his tired body into motion, Kazuya stood back up and groggily assumed a fighting stance. _I refuse to die here, least of all at the hands of this…amateur!_

Picking up his rapier, Jean kicked Kazuya with so much force that the Japanese man tumbled straight to the ground. Kazuya was already very tired: not only from his wounds, but from using an attack that expended all of his ki. With Jean's foot pinning him to the ground, the Frenchman raised his rapier in a killing blow while Kazuya quickly tried to break free and think of how the hell he was going to get out of this.

Suddenly, Jean felt a tapping on his shoulder. Turning around quickly and saying, "WHAT IS IT?" he saw through his vision that was blurred with inhuman rage a gloved fist approaching his face a mere fraction of a second before it connected and sent him flying off Kazuya. Kazuya looked up and saw his savior: Jun Kazama, her white trenchcoat off her body, revealing her fine figure pressed against her black knit shirt and dark purple tie.

_Of all the people to come to my aid, _Kazuya grumbled as he felt himself fade into unconsciousness, _she had to be the one…how very fitting…_

Walking over to the unconscious Kazuya, Jun kneeled over and took off one of her gloves. Gently putting her fingers on his neck and checking for a pulse, Jun's eyes began to glow. Kazuya would need medical attention soon if he were to live, and for reasons that only she knew, Jun felt that she had an obligation to make sure he lived. Hearing Jean's footsteps rushing towards her, she quietly stood back up and assumed a fighting stance.

"MY MIND IS ON FIRE!" Jean screamed as his attempted to skewer the woman in front of him, "YOU DEVILS HAVE POISONED ME!"

"You have poisoned yourself, Jean," Jun said with her quiet tone of voice as she sidestepped the stab and sent the man flying into the air with a standing uppercut, "you allowed yourself to indulge in your bloodlust, and as such, your own demons have taken over." As Jean came down, Jun sent him flying backwards with a powerful jumping roundhouse kick.

"…that…may be so…" Jean said coldly, the massive blow slightly clearing his head, "…but that doesn't mean I shall be sparing any of you!" Taking out a small remote from his pocket, Jean showed it to Jun and pressed a button, "Test your might, fools! My plan may have ended in failure, but that doesn't mean I can't cut my losses!"

Suddenly, the lights to the stadium turned on, bringing light to the once-darkened stands…and revealing massive figures sitting in many of the seats. The figures had the appearance of a man, looking to be around seven feet tall wearing a metallic plum-colored body suit and machine-like arms, with yellow Mohawks on all of their heads and faces that had absolutely no emotion. Jean had hidden a massive horde of Jack-4 units with the Arena, as a precaution in case his plan went up in smoke…which it did.

"RIP OFF THEIR ARMS AND LEGS, BUT SAVE THEIR HEADS FOR ME!" Jean shouted as he hastily ran to the exit, "I'll see you idiots at the next tournament…if you survive, which I seriously doubt!" Jun considered running after him, but Jean already had too far of a head start. By the time she decided to let him go, he was already gone.

Hearing a light moan, Jun turned and saw her son Jin stand up and shake his head. Turning to his mother and seeing that the wolf-like entity was now gone, Jin was unable to contain his excitement. "MOTHER!" Quickly running towards his mother, he outstretched his arms and embraced her. He had spent seven long years believing her to be dead, and she was finally found. Looking behind her, however, he saw that his celebration was pre-mature. "Oh no…not more trouble," Jin said as he let go of his mother and got into a fighting stance.

The eyes of the figures began to glow as they simultaneously stood up from their seats. Jin began to sweat as he looked at the massive horde that was surrounding him. _How am I going to beat all of those?_ Turning to his mother once again and saw that she was kneeling next to the unconscious Kazuya, Jin strengthened his resolve. _Even if that bastard is worthy of saving, my mother feels obliged to protect him…and as much as I may hate him, that's good enough for me!_

"I only came here as a spectator, but of course; I have to clean up your mess."

An unknown voice blared over the loudspeakers as Jin jumped up in surprise. He knew the voice well, but he didn't know where it was coming from, or more importantly, was the owner of the voice here to help, or finish the job himself?

Suddenly, a single Jack-4 jumped from the stands and plummeted towards the main stage. But as it did that, a figure burst through the window of the announcer's booth and went plummeting down after the Jack-4, his arm raised. Cutting the Jack-4 in half with a vertical hand chop as the two came down, the man landed on the main stage with a loud thud and stood up. With his tiger-striped fur coat, brown gloves, and purple dress pants, Heihachi Mishima roared in triumph as he got into a fighting stance.

"Before you say 'what the hell are you doing here, you fiend?' or something along those lines," Heihachi said before Jin could say a word, "I followed Kazuya here from the hotel after I bugged his cell phone…I had a feeling you would be here, so I just hid myself away in the announcer's booth, and watched as you people beat each other senseless."

"And just why are you here? That's what I'd like to know. Last I checked, you wanted to see all of us dead," Jin spat out as he watched the other Jacks jumped down from the stands and to the main level.

"Hmhmhm…I have my reasons," Heihachi said with a smirk as he, Jin, and Jun formed a circle around the unconscious Kazuya as the Jacks came closer and closer. "In the meantime, though…how about we temporarily put aside our differences and show these mechanized buffoons the folly of fighting a Mishima?"

----------

In the twenty minutes that followed, the Saitama Super Arena became a practical war zone, with Jack-4s attacking the trio of fighters from all sides. Metal shards littered the arena as fists and feet tore through each and every one of the machines. Between Heihachi's grunts, Jin's shouts, and Jun's silence, the arena became a symphony of battle cries.

At the end of those twenty minutes, the arena once again became silent as 537 individual Jacks lay broken across the arena.

"…so…Heihachi…what is your deal in all of this," Jin shouted between breaths as he limped over to the panting Heihachi. "Just what are you up to?"

"Hmph…you really want to know?" Heihachi replied as he began to walk out of the stadium. "Fight me at tomorrow's final match, and I shall tell you my plan. Fight me well…and prove to me that I didn't spare your life in vain."

Jin watched his grandfather silently as he elderly man headed for the exit. _I can't believe I have to swallow this, _Jin thought as he walked over to his mother, _but I'm in no shape to fight him right now. At the moment…I'll just have to cut my losses._

"…Jin," Jun whispered as she tried to pick up the unconscious Kazuya, "…please…help me…"

"…I don't know why you're so eager to help him after all he's done to you, mother," Jin said with a hint of disdain as he picked up Kazuya by his legs and the three left the stadium together, "…could you please enlighten me?"

"…I guess it's something…," his mother said with a very thin smile, "…that just can't be described…with words…"


	37. The Chat

_Now that Spring Break is over(although it was hardly a break...I had more fun back at school...) it's back to work for me!_

_Now we can finally have some answers about my silly little Asuka subplot...Next up...the FINALS!_

_GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!_

_Bonus points awarded if you can guess correctlywhich movie Asuka is referring to!_

_---------_

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 6_

_8:47 AM_

Yoshimitsu continued to sit quietly outside of Kenichi Masamune's hotel room in a meditative state. He had been awake for fourteen hours after he and the Israeli carried the young man and his friend Asuka Kazama to their hotel rooms. After Yoshimitsu patched up Kenichi's wounds, he and the Israeli guarded their rooms diligently in the event that their attacker would return, who Yoshimitsu had identified as Jean Sorel, until sleep eventually overcame the Israeli soldier. Yoshimitsu volunteered to keep watch on both Asuka and Kenichi while the soldier got some much needed sleep. He didn't really require sleep due to his cybernetic implants, but staying in one spot for that long of a time was certainly something new for him.

_Sharon-san informed me that Jean Sorel is an influencial figure in G-Corporation, _the swordsman thought as he looked to Asuka's room a few doors down, _if that is true, then I will set my focus there. A company with a madman such he at the reigns is a company that needs to be cleansed…before it commits even more atrocities!_

_...also, I now have new responsibilities as Masamune-san's teacher...and as his surrogate father..._

"Excuse me…can you help me?"

Yoshimitsu turned his head and looked up to see a muscular middle-aged Japanese man with dark brown hair wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "I am here to visit my daughter Asuka Kazama. The receptionist told me that she's on this floor."

"…are you aware that your daughter was attacked last night?" Yoshimitsu asked the question with a cold, almost tragic, tone of voice as he stood up.

"WHAT?" the man jumped up in surprise in hearing that question. "I just came here to surprise her! What are you talking about? Is she alright?"

"She is fine…however; she and her friend Masamune were assaulted last night by a man who triggered a transformation within your daughter, turning her into something other than human. Masamune-san and I were about to quell her rage without harming her but-"

"Let me guess," The man said, lowering his head as he spoke, "she sprouted wings…am I right?"

"I'm afraid so," Yoshimitsu nodded as he resumed speaking. "Kazama-san, there have been numerous rumors cropping up about your daughter…not being your biological daughter. Please do not take offense when I ask you this: can you confirm this?"

There was an awful silence in the air as the two men stood in place, awaiting an answer to that hanging question.

"…yes," Mr. Kazama said quietly, breaking the silence, and the tension. "I can confirm this. It has been my secret for eighteen years now…ever since her mother, my sister, became pregnant with her."

"…Kazama-san," Yoshimitsu bowed his head slightly in respect. "I do not wish to trouble you, but if it is not too much trouble…could you please tell me how Asuka came to be with you? This may not seem relevant, but if I am to free your daughter from this…anomaly, I will need every piece of information I can get."

"…very well," Mr. Kazama sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "Asuka told me that you're a nice man, and I believe her…and I think it is about time I get this off my shoulders…"

"Excellent…thank you," Yoshimitsu nodded as he pulled out a key card from one of the slots in his armor. "My room is right over here to your left behind you…we shall discuss this matter over tea…"

Opening the door that was behind Mr. Kazama, the two men walked into the room…unaware that they were being followed…

----------

Yoshimitsu's hotel room was a medium-sized room with a single bed, a television, a small bathroom, a coffee maker and a table with two chairs. At the far end of the room was a sliding glass door that led to a small balcony and an impressive view of the city below. As the sun shone through the glass door, Yoshimitsu took the pot of hot water from the coffee maker and brewed some tea from a tea bag that was sitting next to the coffee maker.

"It was eighteen years ago when I heard that my sister was pregnant with Asuka," Mr. Kazama began as Yoshimitsu handed him a cup of tea. "She was in her third month of pregnancy…When she told me who the father was, I begged her to not go through with it…but she wanted to have her so badly…even after the father of the child simply left Jun to fend for herself…for the second time!"

"Jun Kazama was a woman who valued life in all its forms," Yoshimitsu agreed as he took a seat. "Her kindness was truly one of a kind…and what she tried to do for Kazuya was nothing short of awe-inspiring…"

"That's what always troubled me," Mr. Kazama shook his head, "You have been in the tournament since the very beginning. You know full well just how heartless Kazuya Mishima is…but Jun was still determined to save him…even though he was much better off dead. Combine that with the fact that he has a split personality that approached her when she was pregnant with Jin…trying to enter her womb?"

"…the Devil spirit is indeed a vile entity," Yoshimitsu looked up at the ceiling as he spoke, "Thanks to it, Kazuya's mind has been poisoned with evil beyond repair."

"But Jun didn't think like that! She told me that because the spirit didn't go after her when she was pregnant with Asuka, there was still hope! She told me that it meant that it was proof that she finally made progress…but I knew better…the Devil spirit simply didn't know about the child…"

"…an interesting theory. What happened next?"

"After hours of trying to talk her out of having Asuka, we finally came to a compromise…if the Devil spirit didn't go after Asuka then, it might go after her once she was born…unless she was someplace that Kazuya didn't know about…I **finally **coaxed her into leaving the child with me…until she felt that she could truly cure Kazuya…"

"…I knew Jun from the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2…I know that she would have done that with a heavy heart…"

"…you have no idea," Mr. Kazama replied with a tragic tone as he sipped his tea. "I probably should have taken Jin with me, as well…but the boy had already grown too attached to her mother…so she left Jin with a friend of the family for a short time as she went to the hospital to give birth to Asuka…someone named Lei Wulong."

"…hmmm…that would explain how this rumor began to circulate as Lei Wulong is an Interpol official…someone could have hacked that data from their confidential records." Yoshimitsu nodded his head in agreement to his own theory.

"…and now comes the hard part," Mr. Kazama stood up slowly as he uttered those words. "Now I have to tell Asuka this…she's old enough to know."

"So what happened last night wasn't a dream…"

"Yes, that would be her first response wh-…" Yoshimitsu stopped in mid-sentence as he realized that the one who spoke before him wasn't Mr. Kazama. The two men looked at each other, and then slowly turned their heads to the door…and standing there was a brown-haired teenage girl wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. _This is what I get for leaving the door open, _Yoshimitsu muttered to himself.

"…oh, Asuka," Mr. Kazama walked to his beloved daughter and embraced her, "I should have told you sooner…I didn't know things would get this bad so fast…" A tear crept down the man's face as he held Asuka tight. He had been dreading this moment for quite some time, but he was still not fully prepared to tell her. "You must hate me right now…you have every right to…"

To the man's surprise, he felt Asuka's hands slowly wrap around his back and return the embrace. "Dad…you're the only father I've ever known…this doesn't change a thing between us."

"You're taking this awfully well, Asuka," Mr. Kazama said with a hint of confusion as he let go of his daughter. "I mean…this is the kind of information that can really shake up a person."

"After what happened last night, nothing really shakes…me…OH CRAP!" Asuka jumped up, as if she had just recalled something important. "KENICHI! If that wasn't a dream, I gave him a serious thrashing!" Quickly rushing out of the room, Asuka scrambled into the hallway and ran a few doors down to where her friend and rival dwelled.

"…" Mr. Kazama was speechless as he watched Asuka make a mad dash out Yoshimitsu's room. He raised the girl, and he expected her to be far more emotional about such a realization, but she took it as an adult, and with maturity…two qualities that she only occasionally showed.

"Your 'daughter' has matured much since the tournament began, Kazama-san," Yoshimitsu said to the man as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. "She has made many friends during this long week…I'm also quite impressed with the relationship she has developed with Masamune-san…"

"…did you just say 'relationship'? And it involves **Kenichi?" **Mr. Kazama turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "I knew they were close, but…I've known that boy since he was a toddler…he was always such a recluse…tch, kids these days!"

----------

_Love is perhaps one of the most unrelenting and unpredictable of all emotions. It can make or break a man, drive him to the ground or propel him to because the best in the world._

Kenichi looked out the window of his hotel room as those words from a madman echoed through his mind. Merely fourteen hours before, he had risked his life to quell Asuka's madness without harming her. He did it without thinking, as if he were driven by forces beyond his comprehension. And at the end of that bloody battle, Kenichi was awarded for his efforts with something that he would remember for the rest of his life: his first kiss. As he faded into unconsciousness as the battle ended with Asuka lying in his arms, he felt a light shine on the dark recesses of his heart that had been tormented all of his life…

…and he knew the source of that light was Asuka. There was no longer any doubt in his mind that what he felt for Asuka was indeed love.

_Fate is mean-spirited jester, _Kenichi thought to himself as he looked at his bandaged torso. He had a pretty good feeling who had treated his wounds, but the gash on his back still hurt. Kenichi wasn't naïve: he knew that the one on his back was very deep, and he might have to live with it for the rest of his life. _I have known Asuka for as long as I can remember…only now have I fallen in love with her? Am I truly so ignorant?_

_Or perhaps…I am no better than my father, _Kenichi turned away from the window as the thought crossed his mind. _My father was a bitter man who rarely did anything fatherly with me…have I been rejecting my feelings all this time because I am obsessed with our martial arts rivalry…just as my father couldn't let go of his loyalties to his ex-employer Kazuya Mishima...who also happens to be Asuka's birth father? Friends, family, and foes...how did all of them get to be so jumbled together?_

**-knock knock-**

…_who could that be? _Kenichi asked himself as he put on a white knit shirt and walked to the door. _Perhaps it is Yoshimitsu…_

As Kenichi opened the door, he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him and bring him into an embrace with a captivating brown-haired teenage girl. As the boy realized what was going on, he returned Asuka's embrace and held her in his arms. "Don't hold on too long, Kenichi…I've got a reputation to maintain as a tomboy playgirl," Asuka said as they two broke their embrace and sat down on the bed. "Kenichi…did you know that my dad is here?"

…_oh no, _Kenichi silently dreaded the thought of explaining what had happened to them. _What in the world am I going to tell him? _

"…he and Yoshimitsu told me everything…about last night…here I thought it was just a dream," Asuka put her hand to her head as she felt it begin to hurt from everything that had transpired. "Kenichi…I just want you know that I'm sorry for what I did to you…and I'm glad to see that you're in one piece."

"…Asuka," Kenichi lowered his head as he spoke. "Yoshimitsu has offered me a position as his student in the ways of Manji Ninjitsu. He said that he can teach me how to use the purifying techniques that helped you recover."

"Well, what did you say?"

"…I accepted it…but his training grounds are at Mt. Fuji…that means I won't be able to come home for a while…and it's not just missing schoolwork I'm worried about...or even leaving my mother all alone." Kenichi turned his head slightly, his face expressionless and betraying his deep emotional state. "Asuka…please don't take offense when I ask you this but…how do feel about me?"

Rolling her eyes, Asuka grabbed Kenichi by the collar and got him into a headlock. "Honestly, Kenichi, for one of the top kids in school, you really are dense!" Proceeding to give the struggling boy a noogie, Asuka continued. "First I kiss you _in public,_ which just completely screws up my reputation, and then just now I hugged you…how many more hints do need?"

Releasing Kenichi from the headlock, Asuka gently placed her palm on his cheek as he straightened himself. "To quote one of favorite movies," she said as she looked into Kenichi's eyes. "'Does **this **answer your question?'"

Before Kenichi realized what was going on, Asuka planted a kiss on his lips. Closing his eyes as he regained his senses, Kenichi felt a warm feeling in his heart. It wasn't just from the kiss, but from the knowledge that the woman he loved did indeed love him back. As Asuka broke the kiss with an exaggerated smacking sound, she gave Kenichi a pat on a back and said, "Think about that for a while. I'm going to go down and have breakfast with dad…namely the one that's just across the hall…you coming?"

"…in a moment, Asuka…and thanks," Kenichi smiled slightly as he nodded his head. "I may have bruised ribs, but you have no idea just how much I needed that…"

"Tch…later, dreamboat," Asuka said as she waved behind her. "I had a blast."

As he watched her close the door, Kenichi unbuttoned his shirt as he walked to a mirror. _Asuka…I promise you…that I'll make sure you don't have to suffer from what that guy did to you…or what your "other father" cursed you with…I promise you…that I shall purify you…and all the others with that so-called "Devil Gene." _Unwrapping his bandages, he turned his back to the mirror as he clenched his fist and strengthened his resolve. _I swear that I'll exorcise this "Mishima curse"…with this scar as my witness!_


	38. Heihachi vs Jin: The World's Strongest

_**C.Nash1: **Sorry if I've been distant...I tried logging in last night, but no one was there...oh well, I'll try to come soon. In the meantime, tell Shin that PB sends his best._

_**Bigfoot**: Thanks man! That means a lot to me!_

_Well, I don't think I need to say much on this chapter...SHORYA!_

----------------

Seven days ago, Jin Kazama opened the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, and the great city of Tokyo because host to street fights and arena brawls all across town. Forty different martial artists all across to globe came to this busy city to beat each other into submission for the chance of fame, fortune, and glory. For four days, the fighting went on with everything from friendly rivalries to heated blood feuds driving the martial artists.

The past two days have been off-days to help the two remaining fighters prepare for the final battle. The many sponsors of the tournament took the opportunity to use the momentum of the tournament to promote their products and merchandise. There were numerous events to keep the fans occupied as a much-needed sense of peace hung over Tokyo.

And now, on the seventh day, the peace would come to a close as the final battle of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 would take place on a fine evening within the Tokyo Dome. The massive crowd consisting of fans and competitors alike gathered within the arena to watch the two men who bested all of them duel to see who is the true King of the Iron Fist.

_I have finally made it this far, _Jin thought as he tightened his armguards while he waited for his audio cue. _I have finally found my mother, and stopped those that wish to do her harm. All that remains now is that I make sure the Zaibatsu stays out of Heihachi's conniving grip…_

_However, _Jin added as he looked around and saw the crowd, _he saved my life yesterday…and I still don't know why…what is he scheming?_

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the final battle of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6," a middle-aged voice blared over the arena. "For the past six days, the Mishima Zaibatsu has brought you the best martial arts action possible…and now on the seventh day, it's finally come down to the final battle!

"He's been known as 'the Fatal Lightning,' and was the champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Coming from Japan at 22 years of age using traditional karate, he's the sponsor of today's tournament. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the one…the only…JIN KAZAMA!"

_I've become so numb  
I can feel you there  
I've become so tired  
So much more aware  
I'm becoming this  
All I want to do  
Is be more like me  
And be less like you…_

Putting his doubts aside for the time being, Jin hid his disdain with a smile and waved to the crowd as he came down the runway in his white knit shirt and black sports pants that were etched with white flames. Taking on a more serious demeanor as he entered the ring and performed a small kata which received a mild ovation from the audience, Jin tightened his gloves once again and took a deep breath. His next opponent was certainly not one to be taken lightly…especially since he was Jin's own flesh and blood.

"He was the sponsor of the inaugural King of Iron Fist Tournament, the champion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, the sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3, the champion AND sponsor of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, and a finalist in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5," the announcer's voice boomed with excitement as familiar fireworks began to go off in the arena, "Coming from Japan at 76 years of age, using Mishima-ryu Karate, he's the man behind the fights, the original King of Iron Fists!" Lightning began to crackle across the body of the man at the end of the runway. "GIVE UP FOR….HEIHACHIIIIIIII MISHIMA!"

_It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight  
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival  
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night  
And he's watchin' us all in the eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye  
Of the tiger…_

The original King of Iron Fists walked down the runway in his black gi with the face of a tiger on the back and red belt tied around his waist wearing blue metallic armguards and lead sandals. After Heihachi lost the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, he secluded himself and trained to such a degree like he had never undertaken before. Now he would see if his rigorous training that he had undergone for the past year had truly paid off. _Kazuya will be released from the hospital tomorrow, _Heihachi thought to himself as he waved to the crowd, _that means I have one day to prepare myself in case the first thing he does is try to stab me in the back…_

_However…that all depends if I win, _Heihachi frowned as he stepped into the ring. _What am I saying? I have trained hard for this day! If I doubt myself for an instant, then I will lose! I have underestimated my grandson before…I shall not do so again!_

"This charade has gone on for long enough," Jin said quietly as he watched Heihachi step into the ring. "You may have saved me yesterday, but I honestly doubt that you did that out of the goodness of your own heart…you're up to something."

"Hmph…how very paranoid of you," Heihachi crossed his arms as he eyed his grandson. "You are correct, I am up to something, but I'm not telling you a thing unless you fight me."

"Do you think I'm afraid not to, fiend?" Jin slowly assumed a fighting stance as he issued his remark. "Consider yourself fortunate that Xiao still believes in you: for her sake, I'll try to avoid doing any permanent damage."

"Very well, boy," Heihachi uttered with a smirk as he uncrossed his arms to get into his own fighting stance while grated walls emerged around the two fighters. "Let's see what you're made of…"

Coming at Heihachi at a full run as soon as he heard the grated walls finish elevating with a metallic clang, Jin leapt into the air and attempted a leaping kick, but the elder man sidestepped out of the way and left Jin to his fate with the wall. Using quick thinking, Jin propelled himself off the wall in mid-air and crashed into Heihachi head-first while tackling him to the ground.

_An impressive start,_ Heihachi thought as he kicked Jin off before the youth could land an additional attack, _but it'll take more than that to defeat me!_

Getting back up and dusting himself off, Heihachi resumed his fighting stance and caught Jin's oncoming punch. Pulling him closer and then flipping him over, Heihachi jumped high into the air and held Jin above his head, then slammed him into the ground head-first as they came down as they crackled with Heihachi's cerulean ki, the trademark aftereffects of the elder man's devastating Power Bomb.

Jin scrambled back onto his feet and caught his breath as Heihachi came chasing after him. Resuming a fighting stance, the young man parried his grandfather's punch and then countered with one of his own: his Omen Wind Hookfist to be precise. Heihachi quickly blocked the punch but began crackling with red lightning as a consequence of being hit with such an attack. However, Heihachi got into a Raijin Stance and began to sparkle with his own natural ki to counter the foreign energies. Watching Jin come after him, he smiled as he sent his grandson spiraling away with his Pulverizer Punch.

Crashing into the grated wall, Jin landed on the ground with a thud and initially had trouble regaining his footing. But as soon as he regained his senses, he instinctively ducked right under Heihachi's left hook and sent the man airborne with a Thrust Godfist and juggled the man in the air with a pair of jabs, and then sent him to the ground with an axe kick that propelled his descent.

Heihachi quickly rolled away just in time to avoid a downward punch and got back to his feet. He was not going to underestimate Jin like he did at the conclusion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 the year before. Heihachi knew full well that Jin was already an accomplished martial artist that surpassed that of his father. _But I shall not falter,_ Heihachi muttered to himself as he kicked Jin away with a roundhouse kick, _the fate of the Mishima Zaibatsu lies in my hands! Only I can lead it to victory; I, and no one else!_

_I can't let up for an instant; _Jin thought as he stood back up and resumed his fighting stance. _I cannot allow the Zaibatsu to fall back into his hands. I can't allow him to return to power and do as he pleases!_

Charging his ki so that his fists began to glow, Jin resumed his assault on Heihachi with a flurry of punches and kicks. Heihachi had little trouble blocking the first few blows, but Jin surprised him at the end with a kick to the shin. Seeing Heihachi stagger slightly, Jin sent him spinning uncontrollably to the ground with a Wind Hook Fist, his fist shooting out blue sparks in its wake.

Landing on his hands, Heihachi flipped back onto his feet and sidestepped Jin's forward punch and wound up standing next to Jin. Taking advantage of that window of opportunity, Heihachi picked up his son by his hip with one hand and held him above his head. Holding him in the air for a second, Heihachi then slammed Jin on the ground with a loud thud and received a mild response from the crowd. Quickly continuing the assault before his grandson could get back up, Heihachi stomped on Jin's head with a Geta Stomp and elicited a yell of pain from the youth.

_He's dominating this fight, _Jin thought to himself as he rolled away just in time to avoid a second stomp. Sweeping Heihachi off his feet as he came back up, Jin backed away to catch his breath. _He was nowhere near this strong when I last fought him…did training alone really give him that much power?_

"Don't stop now, boy! My pulse hasn't raced this fast for some time," Heihachi shouted as he got into a horse stance and charged his ki, "Don't tell me that's all you have!"

…_he's mocking me, _Jin clenched his fists as he straightened himself and let his anger boil. _After everything he's done to me and after all of the hurt he's done to me… he has the gall to mock me…I'll shove that monster's taunts right back down his throat!_

With his silent fury, Jin lashed out at Heihachi with a forward punch and which Heihachi dodged. Quickly changing the momentum in his outstretched arm, Jin hit Heihachi in the face with a backhanded swat. As the elder man took a few steps back, Jin got into his Power Stance and bombarded Heihachi with another series of punches and kicks. This time Heihachi blocked all of them, but just as he was going to counterattack, Jin ducked under Heihachi's roundhouse kick and punched him in the stomach. Not giving his grandfather a chance to breathe, Jin gave the elder man an axe kick to the head as he crumpled to the ground.

But just as Jin was going to pound him on the ground, Heihachi rolled to the side and picked the young man up by the neck. "Impressive…if you're fighting that redheaded punk that you call a rival!" Heihachi threw Jin into the grated wall as he continued his rant. "Now get back up and try again! Make me work hard for my Zaibatsu!"

"It's not your Zaibatsu yet, Heihachi," Jin retorted as he got back up and rubbed the back of his head, "I'll be making sure that you won't be getting it back!"

It was a task far easier said than done. As soon as Jin tried to attack, Heihachi sent him airborne with a powerful Demon Uppercut and juggled him the air with a couple of jabs, a backhanded punch, and finally a jumping roundhouse kick that sent the youth spinning uncontrollably to the ground.

_Why…why can't I defeat him this time? _Jin began to despair as he scrambled back onto his feet. The thought of transforming crossed his mind for a brief instant, but that just filled him with even more despair. _Oh no…what I am thinking? Relying on my awful power…could it be that I'm becoming what I hate most…could it be that I'm becoming…my father!_

_An opening! _Heihachithought as he watched Jin hesitate and quickly got into a Raijin Stance. _It's time to end this battle!_

Once Jin realized that he was still in the middle of a fight, he looked up just in time to see Heihachi's fist connect with his face. As Jin crumpled to the ground, Heihachi knocked him in the air with another Demon Uppercut and sent him spiraling away with a forward palm thrust: his Iron Hand maneuver.

Jin struggled to get back up as he felt dizziness begin to overcome him. Quickly taking a sharp breath, Jin reared back his fist and began to crackle with his crimson lightning-like ki: the prologue to his ultimate attack. In response to Jin's preparation, Heihachi began to advance: slowly at first, but quickly evolving into a full-on run.

_What is he doing? Is he trying to get defeated? _Jin thought as he continued to crackle with red lightning. _He's probably just trying to call my bluff…time to give him my reply! _His fist now fully charged with his ki, Jin unleashed his ultimate attack, the Eighth Gate of Hell, just as Heihachi came in range…but to Jin's surprise, his enemy ducked under the punch practically simultaneous with when it was thrown…and Jin knew full well what Heihachi had just done, and what was coming. _NO! I can't get out of the way!_

"SHORYA!"

Heihachi's Thunder Godfist sent Jin flying backwards so far and so high that the youth actually flew over the grated walls and landed outside of the ring with a sickening thud. Watching his grandson cease to move and listening to the announcer begin the count, Heihachi crossed his arms and waited…waited for the announcement of a well-earned victory.

"…and 10! Ladies and gentlemen, the champion has been decided! Heihachi Mishima wins his third King of Iron Fist title!"

Heihachi let out a roar of triumph as he lifted his hand and brought it down in a chopping motion. He hadn't made a complete run through the tournament since the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, and he had almost forgotten the thrill of crushing opponent after opponent only to finally take the title in the end. As he got a hold of himself, the grated walls lowered and Jin Kazama re-entered the ring with Ling Xiaoyu at his side helping him onto the stage.

"…I am a man of my word," Jin said with his breath haggard as he nodded to Xiaoyu while she stepped out of the ring. "…you won fair and square. The Zaibatsu is yours. Now tell me your plan!"

"Hmph…I suppose you deserve a bone for such a decent performance," Heihachi crossed his arms as he watch Jin clutch his chest and the youth caught his breath. "Here's my plan: I want G-Corporation crushed. You know full well the threat they pose to us. Sorel's little escapade throughout the tournament is proof, not to mention there have been rumors that they succeeded in reviving Toshin for a short period of time. To be blunt, I think they should be wiped off the face of the earth…and I don't care WHO wants on the action!"

"…are you suggesting an alliance?" Jin raised an eyebrow as he straightened himself. "That's a real laugh. What guarantee do I have that you won't stab me in the back when everything's said and done?"

A smirk crept upon Heihachi's lips as he listened to Jin's paranoid accusations. "You don't have any guarantee. You'll just have to trust me…but tell me something, Jin: what would your mother do if she were offered this?"

"…grrr…she would leap at the chance…because it would mean that the Mishimas would finally be united," Jin growled under his breath as he said that. As much as he hated to admit it, this was Heihachi's subtle idea of a truce. He knew that his mother once tried to break up the Mishima feud, and an alliance would certainly be a step in the right direction. He may have hated Heihachi, but Jin would do anything to respect his mother's wishes, especially in her current time of need.

"…think about that for a while," Heihachi said as he stepped out of the ring to speak to the many reporters that waited to interview him on his victory. "I'll be awaiting your answer when I officially take back the Mishima Zaibatsu…"

Turning around once he saw Heihachi step out of the ring, Jin walked back down the stairs where Ling Xiaoyu awaited him. "Jin! What did he say?" The teenage girl asked with excitement.

"…he asked me to join him…he wants me to help him with the company," the youth replied quietly, still trying to sink in what Heihachi had said to him. Jin didn't want to tell Xiaoyu just yet that the main reason he was considering it was because of his personal vendetta with G-Corporation, but he didn't want to lie to her either.

"Jin, that's great," the girl flung her arms around Jin. "It's good to see that you two are finally working together again! It's just like old times!"

Jin slowly returned the embrace as said with a whisper, "…I suppose…as long as you're with me…it'll indeed be just like old times…" _But I can't help but shake the feeling that this alliance is going to be shaky, _Jin thought to himself as he and Xiaoyu let go of each other and the girl handed him a water bottle. _But he's right about one thing: G-Corporation must fall!_ _For what they did to my mother…I shall drive them to the ground!_

--------------

Jean sat quietly in his office at the Tokyo branch of G-Corporation as he watched the television. He was still coming to terms with what happened to him the day before. His skin had now lost its pigment, and his eyes shone with a wicked red light. At first he blamed his condition on Kazuya, but upon further research, Jean came to the realization that his condition was actually the result of his hereditary madness that had haunted his family for centuries. That's why Jean never went to a doctor about it: the madness wasn't completely genetic, but in truth it was supernatural in origin.

Now he couldn't even see his dearest Jane. Any time he was near someone, he could feel a powerful bloodlust that just screamed to bleed anyone he saw dry as a bone. It took all of his willpower not to be overcome by it when she tried to comfort him. "I'll need to be by myself for a while," he told her with a hint of sorrow. "I shall be in touch, Jane. I promise you that I won't let any harm come to you."

_But I will use this to my advantage,_ Jean thought as the television displayed Heihachi Mishima defeating Jin Kazama. _Now I have a supernatural curse flowing in my veins, just as Kazuya or Jin have power flowing in theirs. Surely the President will at least give me kudos for proving that the Devil Gene does indeed have a weakness…he does have a fetish for the supernatural, after all… _

_Furthermore, _Jean began twiddling his fingers in his train of thought, _we can now begin our all-out assault on the Mishima Zaibatsu, now that a new leader has been determined. We stripped Heihachi of his empire once, and shall do it again…permanently!_

"Excuse me, Mr. Sorel," a young woman's voice buzzed over the loudspeaker in Jean's office. "Someone is here to see you."

"…Ms. Yagi, I specifically requested that I was not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency," Jean said with a cold tone of voice as he spoke into the intercom on his desk. "Who is it and what is his business?"

"He calls himself 'Bryan Fury.' He claims that he wants to seek employment with you as a mercenary in exchange for assistance on hunting down someone named 'Yoshimitsu' as well as a rather large sum of money."

"...very well, send him up here." Jean said with a cruel grin. Bryan Fury was a cyborg with a near-infinite supply of physical strength. He might not have been as brutishly strong as Jack, but he was far more cunning. Also, he was a former Interpol detective in his past life and quite possibly still had ties to their intel. Bryan would certainly be a most valuable ally, and Jean could certainly get used to his insane demeanor.

_Little by little, the players gather, _Jean thought to himself as he waited for his guest to enter his office. _You better prepare for the oncoming storm, Kazuya…because I promise you that next time…I shall rock you like a hurricane! You…and all of your blood kin!_


	39. Justification

_Haha, why is it that I an unable to go more than one chapter without someone hitting someone else? Betcha no one here saw these two fighting..._

_Next up, the last chapter(probably)! See ya then!_

_----------_

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 7_

_7:00 PM_

"DORYAH!"

Kazuya tossed an Electric Wind Godfist into the air as he continued his kata on the helipad of the hospital he was residing in. He was wearing white gi pants with purple markings etched down the side and a black karate belt across his wrist. The sweat on his shirtless torso gleamed in the lights on the helipad, the massive scar on his chest showing for the entire world to see. He had spent the past two days at the hospital after a heated conflict with Jean Sorel the previous day. Normally he preferred to treat his own wounds rather then rely on some feeble doctor to patch him up(he had plenty of that rubbish when he was in G-Corporation's employ), but Kazuya did not go voluntarily: he was carried there after he fell into unconsciousness when Jean used that infernal technique that almost blew out his heart valves. Besides, Kazuya was not stubborn enough to avoid going to the proper specialists if it meant his life.

He was half-disappointed that the doctor told him that there wasn't any permanent damage. With how much pain he endured, he at least wanted a mark to show for it.

That, however, was something that came not in the form of a scar, but in the anomaly in his left eye: aside from his iris being bright red, his pupil was now a light blue color. Kazuya immediately recognized the anomaly for what it was when he noticed it in a mirror: his "weakness" had spread, and now both Angel and Devil resided within his fists. _Hmph…even with my weakness, I shall persevere, _Kazuya thought while he tossed a sharply honed kick into the wind. _I can use this to my advantage…whether I fight on the side of angels or devils are of no consequence…so long as I, Kazuya Mishima, retain my birthright._

A mere hour ago, he watched on television the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 and the final battle between his son, Jin Kazama, and his father, Heihachi Mishima. He was less than pleased with the outcome: just as Heihachi had told Kazuya after he defeated him, the Zaibatsu was his once again. Now Kazuya would soon have to come to a decision: would he accept Heihachi's truce and join with him in a unified strike with G-Corporation, or would he tell Heihachi to shove it and walk the path alone.

_One choice is unsavory, the other is suicide, _Kazuya mumbled as he began throwing a flurry of roundhouse kicks in the air. _The second I am released from the hospital tomorrow, Heihachi is going to want his answer…and as much as I want to crunch his face off…I have little choice but to play his game…for now…_

As he turned around for a backfist, his hand was caught by a slender, feminine hand. Kazuya slowly looked past the hand and saw the source: a captivating middle-aged Japanese woman wearing a strapless silver dress with black markings scribbled across it in a symmetric pattern, a black jacket that was left open, a pair of gray slippers, and a white hair band that sat in her ebony hair.

"Tch…I had a feeling you would follow me up here," Kazuya grumbled as he slowly lowered his fist. "Privacy seems to be a foreign concept in this house of illness…just as well…I've been meaning to talk to you about something, anyway…"

"…Heihachi…correct?" Jun Kazama said the two words quietly, almost ominously.

"Hmph…that moronic brother of mine Lee Chaolan notified me this morning that he wants to play Heihachi's game despite his burning hatred for him, as well…and he wants to share the stock with me so that when the time is right, we can take the Zaibatsu by rite of coup…" Kazuya smirked as he turned his back to her and walked to the edge of the helipad while looking out the lit city below. "…however, that is not what I wish to speak to you about…"

"…" Jun had nothing to say as she waited for Kazuya's next question. She had a good feeling what it was…

"…why are you still here? Let me make this perfectly clear…if by some freak chance that there was something between us…it is long since over! So get lost, before you hurt yourself…" Kazuya's voice was cold and stern as he turned around with his frustration made apparent with a scowl. After a few seconds, Kazuya smirked as he lightly tapped his temple with a finger. "You're lurking in here…aren't you, Jun? Whatever are you looking for?"

"…I'm searching for hope…fortunately; I seem to be making progress…"

"Grrr…SPARE ME YOUR SENTIMENTALITY!" Kazuya boomed with ferocity as his patience wore thin, but Jun remained unfazed. "I chose evil on that fateful day, and I shall accept the outcome…do not bestow sainthood upon me! DEFEAT IS HUMILATION ENOUGH!"

"…which is why I shall continue to stay by your side," Jun's eyes glowed a dull yellow as she replied. "I chose to try and save you those twenty-two years ago when I met you in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2…and I knew full well that it would take time and sacrifices…I shall accept the outcome of trying…as I have, with our son Jin…and our daughter, although my brother was never keen with telling you about her…apparently your old colleague Takeshi had no such reservations…"

_Hmph…Masamune was a loyal servant…but his foolish sense of honor was always his downfall, _Kazuya thought as he brushed aside the memories of that man and returned to the matter at hand. "Unbelievable…so are you meaning to tell me that after all of the sour deals I've given you…the most recent among them denying your right to rest in peace…you're _still_ going to try and alter my path of darkness?" The man slowly assumed a fighting stance as he spoke. "Prove to me your sincerity…prove to me that your light is truly more powerful then the darkness that I have bestowed upon you…justify your so-called truth to me as only martial artists like us can: justify your truth…with your fists!"

"…if that is truly your wish…" Jun said in a voice no louder than a whisper as she too assumed a fighting stance. Taking a few steps backward to allow Kazuya to get out of his corner at the railing of the helipad, the two martial artists bound by fate slowly advanced to the center of the helipad. Once they got in the center, then began walking sideways, circling the other…sizing each other up. Despite his injuries, Jun knew that Kazuya was still quite potent…and Kazuya knew full well just how much more powerful Jun had become.

_I am in disarray from these past few days, _Kazuya thought to himself as he stopped sidestepping and began advancing, _and I know that you are the key to all this. Ever since Phoenix notified me of your being in this tournament, you have been the focus of my plans. If you are truly meant to be my so-called savior…then prove to me my true destiny!_

The two fighters traded blows simultaneously as Kazuya threw the first punch, with his fist landing in her chest and her palm striking his face. Backing away from their respective hits, the two shook off the other's attack and quickly resumed their fighting stance. Ducking under the woman's roundhouse kick, Kazuya swept her off her feet with a sweeping kick, and then sent her to the ground with a left hook.

Landing on her hands and gracefully flipping herself back onto her feet, Jun narrowly but effortlessly avoided a straight punch and sent Kazuya crumpling to the ground with a quick palm thrust filled with her ki: her Inner Strength maneuver. To Kazuya's surprise, Jun did not follow up on the attack. She instead backed away quickly and allowed Kazuya to get back up.

_Interesting…at this point she would have changed her stance to try and keep me on my toes, _Kazuya thought to himself as he got back up and saw that Jun did not move from her stance, _but instead she insists upon using her preferred fighting style. What is she planning?_

Not willing to take any unwanted chances, Kazuya ran at Jun at a full run and lunged at her with a flying forward kick that sent her flying backwards. Once again landing on her hands, Jun used the momentum to propel her body downwards and sweep Kazuya off his feet with a sweeping kick, then stomped on his shoulder blade with a cartwheel kick. Getting back up before Jun could get off of him, Kazuya tipped with woman over and caused her to lose her balance. Kazuya used the opportunity to send her flying backwards with a Thunder Godfist.

Once again landing on her feet without any sign of fatigue, Jun once again assumed her Kazama-ryu sense. She didn't bother thinking about the possibility of losing, because there was no point in doing so. Jun had chosen this path on her own free will, and was ready to accept whatever outcome her actions led her to. The redemption of the man before her: whether she won or lost, she would make sure that event would happen. She was so close: closer then she had ever gotten before.

Jun would not be denied her goal…and her destiny.

Catching Kazuya's fist, Jun pulled him closer to her then tossed him over her shoulder for a potent Vacuum throw. Quickly scrambling back up, Kazuya used the momentum of the throw to screech to a halt then resume advancing and sending her across the helipad once again with a Flying Slash kick. This time running along with her, Kazuya grabbed Jun's leg and threw her and tossed her in the opposite direction with a swing.

Falling on her back, Jun rose back up quickly and assumed a fighting stance…one that was different from her preferred Kazama-ryu stance. Kazuya recognized the new stance almost immediately: it was his brother's Jeet Kune Do stance. _Hmm…she's finally getting serious, _Kazuya mumbled as he advanced carefully. _Now prove to me your resolve, Jun…prove to me that what you propose is more than just meaningless concepts for the feeble!_

Dodging a snapping kick from Jun, Kazuya attempted a straight punch, but it was a snare. Spinning above Kazuya's head and landing behind him, Jun lifted her left leg and bombarded Kazuya as he turned around with a barrage of kicks, striking him in numerous places on his body. Finishing the flurry with a right roundhouse kick, Kazuya was sent spinning uncontrollably to the ground.

As Kazuya stood back up, he felt an abnormal amount of pain where the kicks had struck him. However, Jun didn't kick him with that much force. _How did she do that? Those kicks weren't…hmmm; _Kazuya began stroking his chin as the pain dwindled slightly. He reminisced back to two days before…where Jun has just kicked him where all places where Jean had stabbed him earlier. _To subdue an enemy with minimal force...is that the point you have trying to make, Jun? Subliminal messaging via your fighting style…how very intriguing…_

Kazuya chuckled softly, almost with a cryptic tone, as he lowered his fighting stance and said, "That's enough for now." Watching Jun lower her guard and bow in respect, Kazuya turned his back towards her and began walking to the edge of the helipad. "It seems that do indeed have what it takes to run with me," Kazuya said as he approached the railing and crossed his arms while he looked out to the lit city below. "Make whatever decision you like: stay with me and become involved in the conflict with G-Corporation…or do the smart thing, and leave. I shall not stop you on either decision…"

Ignoring the clicking of high-heels coming toward him, Kazuya took out a cell phone from one of his pockets and flipped it open. _As moronic as my brother may be, his expertise in robotics could prove useful to me…if he wants to play by my rules, then I have no qualms against…hm?_

As Kazuya was about to dial Lee's number, he felt something soft press against his back, whichhe instantly recognized as breasts. Two slender arms slowly wrapped around him as Jun rested her head on his shoulders. This was her reply to Kazuya's options. "Tch…do as you wish…just don't get in the way," Kazuya said quietly as he resumed dialing, "and don't expect me to pull a stunt like that on you…it's not in my nature…"


	40. New Beginnings

_King of Iron Fist 6_

_Day 7_

_9:00 PM_

At the front yard of the Mishima Mansion, a crowd of people gathered to witness the post-tournament press conference that was being held by the tournament sponsor Jin Kazama and the tournament victor Heihachi Mishima. In the long history of the tournament, not once had the victor and the loser attended the same press conference after a victory. Every time before today, the sponsor or winner had either gone missing, killed by the opponent, or won his own tournament. Tournament competitors gathered to the press conference to witness this ground-breaking event.

Sergei Dragunov, dressed in full military garb, stood at the front of the gate, keeping a close eye on who went through. Heihachi Mishima had personally asked him the day before to make sure nothing went wrong. _I doubt he would have asked me unless he knew what went on at Zozoji,_ he thought as he continued looking for anything suspicious, _perhaps he was the owner of the device I found?_

_And what of General Minorov…what is he up to?_

Looking at a nearby building, he spotted something that caused him to radio his corporal: it looked to be a sniper, as what Heihachi had expected. "Corporal, there is someone suspicious on the fourth floor of Point 11-C. Please investigate immediately." After a couple of minutes, he looked at the window and saw his corporal get the drop on the character. A few seconds afterwards, his radio buzzed to him, "It was a simple cameraman, sir. All clear here."

"Very good, corporal: proceed with the sweep."

As Dragunov put down his radio, he felt a chill go down his spine. Looking up, he saw a pale man with blonde hair approach the front gate with his eyes masked with a pair of sunglasses wearing a blue trenchcoat, a blue derby, and a pair of dress shoes. At his side was a muscular individual with even paler skin, almost a sickly green shade. He was wearing formal dress attire, his hair white and a tattoo going down his neck.

"Good evening, Captain," the man with the blonde hair said as he tipped his hat and the outstretched his arms so that his body formed a "t" shape. "Go on and search me and my associate if you like. You will find that we are unarmed."

Feeling the two men's bodies to make sure they were not fibbing, Dragunov straightened himself silently and glared at the blonde haired man. "I am curious, Sorel: are you the one who attacked those children at Zozoji temple?"

"…I do not have to answer to that, Captain," Jean replied with a frown. "You are overstepping your boundaries as an officer of the Russian Special Forces to be interrogating a native of France and a citizen of Japan."

"Being how I have been stationed here in this city for time being, Mr. Sorel, you can rest assured that I will certainly be taking an interest with your organization," Dragunov's voice remained calm, but his stern look revealed his patience wearing thin.

"If that is the case, then I'm sure the President of G-Corporation will be glad to give you the guided tour…so are you going to let us through?" Jean raised an eyebrow as he asked that question. If not for Dragunov's personal code of combat, a brawl would have ensued right then and there. However, both of them had no criminal records, and they wanted to keep it that way.

"…yes. The both of you have rights as competitors to observe this event," Dragunov stepped to the side and motioned his hands towards the entrance. As they passed by, Jean turned to face Dragunov and smirked. Bryan followed suit with an insane grin.

"One more thing, Captain…I too look forward to the next episode," Jean said with a snide tone of voice, "especially with your General being a power-mad lunatic." Once he said that, Jean turned back to the entrance and went through the gate while Bryan, still sporting his toothy grin, waved and said, "See ya in the funny papers, Ruskie," before following Jean.

"_Power-mad lunatic," _Dragunov frowned as he repeated those words in his head, _is that what he is now…interesting…_

------

_I can't believe he had the gall to show his face, _Jin Kazama thought to himself as he walked over to a nearby refreshment table to get something to drink after he spotted Jean Sorel enter the gate. Jin was wearing formal dress attire covered with a black trenchcoat. The front lawn of the Mishima Mansion was littered with fighters and reporters as they awaited Heihachi's arrival so that he could begin his victory speech and formally conclude the tournament.

_After all the hurt Jean has inflicted on so many of the competitors, he has the audacity to show his face at the post-tournament ceremony._ _And it looks like he brought himself hired help, _Jin frowned as he noticed Bryan Fury. _Only one day after we took him out at the Saitama Super Arena, and he's already getting ready for the chaos that's going to ensue…_

"I still can't believe that you're going through with this, Jin."

Jin turned around as he heard the unknown voice and spotted his aide walking towards him. He was wearing his hair in his trademark dreadlocks and was sporting a silver-and-black knit shirt and a pair of red dress pants. "I don't trust Heihachi one bit. Even if it means taking down G-Corporation, do you really have any insurance that he won't stab you in the back?"

"That's what bothers me about this whole thing, Eddy," Jin took a sip from his beverage before he continued speaking. "Heihachi is trying to get everyone together in one circle to try and take out G-Corporation in a single blow. What really gets my skin crawling though is how Heihachi probably knows that it will fall apart as soon as the dust has settled."

"Maybe he's just overconfident," Eddy stroked his chin as he tried to make sense out of what Jin was saying, "or maybe he really is _that _strong that he can beat anyone who would try and pull a fast one."

"…maybe…" Jin looked up at the night sky as he pondered what Eddy had said. Heihachi was not immune to overconfidence, but given how he had dominated Jin and Kazuya in the tournament, he probably knew exactly what he was doing, and how he was going to enforce it. _All of us have a score to settle with G-Corporation, so I'm willing to bet that their existence is going to be the ties that bind our little truce. _

"Jin…thanks again for helping my master recover from his illness last year," Eddy outstretched his hand in friendship, "I'm going inside to tell Xiao to get Heihachi out here so he can give his little speech. If you ever need a helping hand or simply someone to talk to, you know where to reach me."

"…indeed…thanks, Eddy," Jin shook the man's hand as Eddy walked away. "I'll see you at the next tournament, I guess…"

_And then there's the matter of my mother, _Jin took another sip of his drink as he began walking to his chair in the front row of the many lines of seats set up in the yard. _I pulled out all the stops to try and find her. Not only did I ask Lieutenant Sharon to help me, but I even went so far as to invite Sorel to try and beat it out of him…and I got more than I bargained for._ _And even though she's regained her memory…she's siding with my father? She always saw the good in everyone…is it possible that she saw something within him…that lowlife?_

…_well, if I find that he's mistreating her, I'll be sure to send him right back to the sick bed, _Jin grimaced as he sat down and shook his head, _but if my mother wants to give him another chance, then so will I…but doesn't mean I have to like it…_

Suddenly, the door of the Mishima Mansion opened, and out came Heihachi Mishima, dressed in his tiger-striped fur coat, brown gloves, and purple dress pants. _Let's see what Heihachi has to say, _Jin murmured to himself as he stood back up and headed for the podium…

-------

Heihachi waved to the crowd of gatherers in the lawn as he stepped out of the door. He had spent a good hour doing paperwork and figuring out who would own what in his proposed alliance between the members of his family. _Lee has told me that Kazuya has accepted my proposal, _Heihachi thought to himself while he stepped onto the podium in front of him. _I wonder if Jun had anything to do with that…well, no matter. If Jun truly thinks she can give Kazuya some common sense, then she too is welcome to join in my alliance to destroy G-Corporation…and if any of them thinks of betrayal…I'll crush them all like the treacherous louts they are, and then teach them all over again the benefits of unity!_

"Fellow fighters, let me begin by saying that fighting in the King of Iron Fist Tournament has always been a privilege," Heihachi began as he listened to a mix of cheers and boos, "Each and every one of you has fought valiantly and with the soul of a tiger. This tournament in particular displayed just how skilled you are by continuing to fight will all your might despite the revised rules."

"This tournament also marks the first time that the sponsor and the victor have been able to participate in the same post-tournament ceremony," Heihachi smiled as he continued. "I think you will see quite clearly that both of us are here to witness this event." Pointing to Jin, the elder man erupted into a hearty laugh. Quickly realizing that he was the only one who found it amusing enough to laugh about, Heihachi regained his composure and continued.

"It had been my honor to fight with you all, and as the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu once again, I can promise you that the next tournament will be even more extravagant than this one! Each and every one of you will once again be able to prove your mettle as warriors," Heihachi's voice boomed across the speakers that were hooked up to the microphone that was he was speaking into. _When this next tournament starts, G-Corporation will muster all of their forces to try and take the Zaibatsu out of the picture, _Heihachi thought to himself as he paused his speaking for the effect he wanted, _and when that happens, every fighter here will be forced to choose a side lest they get caught in the crossfire._

"In the meantime, however…" Heihachi turned to his right to Ling Xiaoyu, who was dressed in a tuxedo holding the tournament trophy: a golden clenched fist atop of a plaque with Heihachi's name on it. Heihachi noticed it was different from the previous trophies, which had a gold statue of Heihachi's head on it. Then again, he remembered that he was not the one holding the tournament. "…I am pleased to accept this wonderful trophy as proof my victory!"

Sitting down in the front row after mild applause, Heihachi watched as Jin stood up from his seat and walked up to the podium. _And so ushers in the era of new chapter in the Mishima family's history,_ the elder man mused to himself.

"As the sponsor of this week's tournament, I would also like to say that I have been privileged to hold this event," Jin said with a sincere smile as he put aside his doubts for the future. Pulling out a gavel from under the podium, Jin's smile widened. "I hearby declare the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6…" pounding the gavel on the podium, Jin completed his sentence as cheers erupted from the crowd, "…complete!"

-----------

_Haha, despite my leaving it open for sequel, this is TRULY the end! Man what a wild ride we had here, folks! This fic has followed me all throughout my freshman year in college. Hopefully I can get these two projects in Comp Sci done so I can come back next year! It just seems weird leaving it now...man... _

Time for the credits:

**Firebat**: One of the greatest guys a person could know, and perhaps the unofficial godfather of the FFD at Tekken Zaibatsu. He has done so much for Tekken fanfiction, either with his short stories or with his insights on how I can make this fic better. Firebat was kind enough to stick with this the entire time, offering suggestions on how to improve some of the inconsistencies. He was even kind enough to help me organize some of the ideas. Thanks a bunch, Bats!

**KittenSteve**: It was KittenSteve's old Tekken forum where Doren, Kenichi, and Jean first saw light. He probably knows just how much these 3 have changed since I first came up with them for the fic that never was. Thanks again, my friend.

**Gwendy**: As I might have stated before, it was her fics that got me into writing my own. She definitely got me hooked to the Tekken Zaibatsu FFD, and I haven't left since. Too bad her site is still down...aw, well! MAHAL KITA!

**maDawg**: Just because we're on lousy terms now doesn't mean I don't appreciate what she did do before our falling out. Here's looking at ya, Dawgies...

**Sachi Gosetsuke**: Another person who helped me organize my ideas. She happens to be a Kenichi fan(which says a lot being how she's a Bob x Asuka fan.), and that always makes me feel good at how a character I came up with has made such a big splash.

**Namco: **For making my favorite 3D fighting game series(sorry, but the Capcom Vs. games still hold the title of all-time favorite series).

**And everyone else who has read this fic either here or at Tekken Zaibatsu!**

I had a blast, everyone. I guess I'll see you when I write my next fic...TEKKENSHU SENTAI...SHINKENGER!


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